‘We have been deprived of our rights for 9 years’
By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The BPL families recently ostracized by the Mawsynram Dongrum village council for filing a RTI to unearth the discrepancies in the public distribution system have reiterated that they had been deprived of their rights for the last nine years.
In a statement issued here on Saturday, the affected families while accusing the executive committee of the Dorbar of never trying to resolve the issue in an amicable manner said, “We have relaxed our demands to get the BPL, AAY food grains from 2002 to 2005, yet they insisted that the fair price shop dealer will only compensate with effect from 2008.”
The signatories of the statement also maintained that they have not backtracked from their earlier statements and accusations while stating that they abstained from the Dorbar meeting held on July 13 due to fear that something unwanted may happen to them for not co-operating with the decision of the Village council.
The families were socially boycotted after they had filed an application under the RTI Act against an unscrupulous fair price shop dealer recently.
According to families, the EC of the Mawsynram Dongrum village council should take stringent action against the dealer (a resident of the village) for depriving them.
“Why has the dealer involved in siphoning public food grains been spared while we have been ostracized for demanding out rights,” the families questioned.
Interestingly, the current village Rangbah Shnong Astorwell Kharchandi was the fair price shop dealer from 2002 till 2008 before assuming the post of Rangbah Shnong (village chief) and the fair price shop was taken over by his wife Astroda Marbaniang.
Meanwhile the departmental inquiry which has been ordered into the incident is likely to be completed by next week, East Khasi Hills Deputy Commissioner J Lyngdoh said here on Saturday.