Shillong:
Preparing to hold the first ever civic polls in the state, the Meghalaya government has issued notification for the elections to the Baghmara Municipal Board in South Garo Hills District.
The election will be held on August 6 and the counting on August 9, the notification issued last evening said.
The last date for filing nomination papers is July 20.
This is the third attempt by the government in a year's time to hold the civic polls. Its earlier two attempts to hold elections in the four municipalities of Garo Hills since September last year did not succeed in the wake of large scale protests.
The protesting organisations contended that the municipal elections would lead to dilution of power of local traditional bodies.
The Guwahati High Court had directed the state government to hold the municipal elections in the state before September.
Ever since attaining statehood in 1972, Meghalaya has never conducted civic polls and the nominated administrator of the State government governs the Municipality Boards.