By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The KHADC Executive Member (EM) in -charge of Trade Antonio War has come under the scanner for authorizing the Assistant Licensing Officer (ALO) to sign the trading license which is in clear violation of the provisions of the Trading by Non-Tribals Regulation Act, 1954.
War took this decision at his personal level without bothering to bring in an amendment to the Act, official sources said on Tuesday.
Official sources also revealed that the EM had not even consulted his colleagues in the Executive Committee (EC) while taking this decision.
According to official sources, War could have at least got the confidence of the EC for issuing an Executive Order to this effect before getting the approval of the House to amend the Act.
War’s argument is that the ALO had been deputed to the Labour Department to strengthen it.
Earlier, during the Question Hour on Tuesday, senior HSPDP MDC from Mawkyrwat Enbin K Raswai said that as per the provision of the Act, the Licensing Officer (LO) is the only duly authorized person to sign the trading license.
‘I would like to know whether this decision to authorize the ALO to sign the trading license was being done after bringing an Amendment to the Act,” Raswai asked on the first day of the budget session of the Council here.
Raswai said the decision to detach the LO from the job of signing the trading licenses gives the impression that things are not upfront between the officer and the EM. “People from outside would definitely think that something is wrong between the LO and the EM,” Raswai said. UDP MDC from Mawlai Embhah Syiemlieh said that this decision to dislocate the LO from his job is ‘uncalled for’.
“As far as the provision of the Act goes, the LO is the only competent authority to sign the trading license,” Syiemlieh said. In reply, War said that this decision to authorize the ALO to sign the trading license was taken during a joint meeting of the Trading and Labour department. The EM in-charge Trade further informed that the three ALOs who were appointed in the three districts (Ri-Bhoi, Jaiñtia Hills and East Khasi Hills) are currently signing the trading license.