Sub-leasing of stalls at MUDA shopping complex
By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The enquiry commission set up by the Meghalaya Urban Development Authority (MUDA) has given a clean chit to the MUDA officials and instead pointed fingers at the occupants of the stalls in the complex for involvement in benami practices.
“Allegations of illegal allotment of stalls by MUDA do not arise and there is no truth in it. It is the arrangement made between the lessee and the sub-lessee without the knowledge of MUDA,” Urban Affairs Minister and MUDA Chairperson Ampareen Lyngdoh told reporters on Thursday, referring to the enquiry commission findings.
The Committee was set up to probe into the allegations by one Ambor Ribha Khongwir, a lessee of stall No 65 in the Complex recently, who alleged that some MUDA staff had forged his signature in the agreement letter and had illegally given the stall on lease to someone else.
As per the report submitted by the enquiry committee, other such cases also exist in the MUDA complex. “We came to know that stall No. 28 is occupied by one lady in the name of her son who is a minor and a class 3 student,” Ampareen said.
“Many illegal practices have been going on for a long time now and it is time we put a stop to it.”
Regarding the allegations put forth by Khongwir, Ampareen said it was an unauthorized agreement with an unauthorized person and MUDA is not at all involved in this agreement.
“The rules clearly restrict the sub-leasing of shops but we have noticed that almost half of the occupants are breaking this rule,” the Ampareen said, adding, “We have sent a closure notice to stalls No. 65 and No. 28 and also written to the District Administration to take legal actions against such irregularities.”
Khongwir was unavailable for comments as his cell phone was switched off.
Ampareen said that renewing the lease of every stall should be done every five years but ever since the stalls were sanctioned there has been no renewal.
“We have also decided to hand over all the electrical management to the Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited (MeECL),” Ampareen said.
“Nearly half of the stalls are occupied by non-tribal traders despite the agreement to set up a particular section of stalls for unemployed youths of the State,” she said.
“We are probing into the matter. We would streamline the process at the earliest,” she added.
