Shillong, Dec 22: The Maitshaprang wanted the state government to define “official purposes” instead of deleting it so that there is scope for proper implementation of Meghalaya Compulsory Registration of Marriage Act.
In a letter to the Minister of Registration, Convener of the Maitshaphrang, Michael Syiem said the proposal of the government to delete the term “official purposes” will defeat the very objective of the Act for which it was unanimously passed.
“The Maitshaphrang sincerely urge the government, that instead of deleting the term “official purposes” it should define the term “official purposes” and enlarge its scope of implementation (like for instance the importance of enclosing the Scheduled Tribe/Caste certificate for certain official purposes) so that the purpose of the Act is served,” he said.
He also reminded that the Meghalaya Compulsory Registration of Marriage Act, 2012 was unanimously passed by the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly with the objective of dealing with the problem of increasing number of unregistered broken marriages in Meghalaya leaving many abandoned women with children without any maintenance to look after their family.
Syiem said the provision in the Act to make it mandatory for every married men and married women to compulsorily furnish a marriage certificate for all official purposes is very important because it will make it mandatory for every marriage in Meghalaya to get registered thereby giving some protection to the divorced women by way of maintenance for herself and her children which she can also contest in the court of law in case of denial of maintenance/child support.
