The Meghalaya government has denotified the current term of the Meghalaya Commission for Women, hours after its chairperson Phidalia Toi was showcaused on Tuesday by election authorities for allegedly participating in a poll rally of the ruling NPP candidate in Jowai Assembly constituency.
Refuting the allegation, Toi disclosed to The Telegraph that she received the government notification on Tuesday evening. A copy of the one-para government notification, shared by Toi, said “in pursuance” of a January 1 letter from the chief minister’s office, the term of the commission, notified on December 15, 2021, “stands denotified with effect from 18.01.2023”.
The notification was issued by the commissioner-secretary of the social welfare department Pravin Bakshi, who was unavailable for his reaction.
Commission members have a term of three years. The commission had nine members and all of them have been affected by the notification, which seems to be a fallout of the January 13 showcause notice to Toi by the West Jaintia Hills district election officer.
The showcause notice was based on February 11 newspaper report that “alleges you had participated in a rally taken out by the National People’s Party candidate, Shri Wailadmiki Shylla and was seen walking hand in hand with the said candidate during the rally in the streets of Jowai”.
The notice said Toi’s reported actions were in contravention of Rule 20 of the state services conduct rules and “are prejudicial to the neutrality expected of a government employee”.
She was given two days to respond as to why action should not be initiated against her for “violation” of the state services rules.
A Congress delegation also demanded her removal and the disqualification of Shylla in a complaint to the chief electoral officer on Tuesday.
Claiming she did not participate in any rally, Toi said: “There was no political rally. I had accompanied Shylla, who is my cousin’s son to the DC office when he had gone to file his nomination on February 7. I did not even enter the DC office,” she said.
