Shillong, April 20 2010: With downsizing apparently leading to political instability in some North Eastern States, particularly Meghalaya, senior AICC leader Oscar Fernandes today suggested that there should be a separate "yardstick" for the region.

"It was a part of the Administrative Reforms Commission.

It is being discussed.

Hope we will arrive at something...

we could have a different yardstick for North East," he said when asked if there could be a rethink on the 97th Amendment that restricts the size of ministry to 20 per cent of the Assembly.

Fernandes said, "It needs support from all.

There is a realisation in certain quarters" .

DD Lapang, who resigned yesterday as Chief Minister after a revolt in his party, said, "Yes, down-sizing is a factor that has caused political instability.

"Leaders with potential cannot be given proper chances.

They cannot be accommodated in a small Ministry," Lapang said.

In a coalition Government, he said, the situation was much worse as berths have to be shared with partners.

After the downsizing in 2004, the Ministry size in Meghalaya was restricted to 12 .

Even before that, the State had seen frequent toppling of Governments.

In its 38-year history, Meghalaya has seen 22 Governments, and 11 in the last ten years.

Significantly, during FA Khonglam's coalition Government in 2001-2003, there were 57 Ministers in the State.

Only three BJP MLAs were in the Opposition then, while the rest, including members of Congress, NCP and other regional parties were on the ruling bench headed by Khonglam, an independent.

Lapang, during his last tenure had tried to pacify political aspirants, by giving the rank and status of Deputy Chief Minister to three other legislators and accommodating others as 13 Parliamentary Secretaries and 116 more as chairmen and co-chairmen in various boards and corporations.

Lapang had in March moved Sonia Gandhi seeking expansion of the size of Ministries in small States.

"In a small and sensitive State like Meghalaya where the total number of members is only sixty and coalition Govts have been in vogue for the past three decades, it has become difficult to accommodate the aspirations of various coalition partners, resulting in instability," Lapang had said in a representation to Gandhi.

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