_ BackThe Chief Ministers Conference
Article 29 of the 'Package' proposes the creation of a Chief Ministers' Conference consisting of all Chief Ministers of the several Regions that will have the 'power' to take all such actions as are necessary to ensure full compliance with the provisions of the Package relating to Regional Councils, to inquire into and settle any disputes that may arise between Regions,and to investigate and discuss subjects in which all or some of the Regions have a common interest,and make recommendations for better co-ordination of policy and action in respect of such subjects. The Article also provides that any dispute which cannot be settled by the Chief Ministers' Conference should be submitted to arbitration.
Despite the very broad terms in which purported powers are sought to be vested in the Chief Ministers' Conference to "ensure full compliance" with the provisions of the Package relating to Regional Councils, no mention is made of any precise power that the Chief Ministers' Conference could exercise to achieve that objective. Since all governmental powers whether legislative or executive that may be exercised within a Region will be exclusively exerciseable either by the Central Government or the relevant Regional Administration, it is impossible to conceive of any powers that the Chief Ministers' Conference could, in fact, exercise to ensure full compliance with the Package. Similarly the sub-Article relating to arbitration contains no provision for the enforcement of any arbitral award.
In the ultimate analysis, the only thing the Chief Ministers' would be able to do will be to meet periodically at public expense and converse with each other over, perhaps, some short eats and tea. What conceivable benefit the People would gain from these provisions is a matter that is presumably known at least to the author of the Package - even that is doubtful !!