A hesitation on part of the Government to hand over the Malki market complex to Malki Dorbar Shnong has resulted in the market being unoccupied for years, leading to gross wastage of funds spent in its construction.
The market complex, constructed by the Urban Affairs Department in October 1984 at a total cost of Rs 9.75 lakh, is lying vacant for years now following a financial tangle between the State Government and the Dorbar Shnong.
According to Malki Rangbah Shnong HP Offlyn Dohling, for 24 years now, the Government has kept the issue at bay, unwilling to hand over the market to the Dorbar Shnong.
He informed that the reason behind the hesitation is the inability of the Dorbar Shnong to pay back the loan claimed by the Government for the construction of the said market.
“We cannot pay the loan as there was no such agreement, the only agreement that was signed was the acquisition of the land owned by the locality”, Dohling said in the city recently. According to Dohling, the State Government has claimed that out of the total Rs. 9.75 lakh spent in the project, Rs 5.11 lakhs was the grant and Rs 4.64 lakhs was given in loan.
He reiterated that the Dorbar Shnong will not comply to the demand of the government as the land was willingly given to the authorities and no such agreement on repayment of loan was made known to the then Dorbar Shnong functionaries.
“As a Rangbah Shnong, I will do what I can to achieve this target (of acquiring the complex for the residents)”, Dohling said while adding that in his 12 years of service to the locality, this is one issue that is still pending.
“I will keep on pursuing this matter with the Government. After I have achieved this, I won’t hesitate stepping down as the Rangbah Shnong”, Dohling added.
Dohling, however, said that his meeting with Urban Affairs Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh recently gave hope of the market being handed over to the Dorbar Shnong soon.
It may be mentioned that despite allegations levied against him, Dohling was re-elected as the Rangbah Shnong of Malki on March 31 following public opinion. (Iban Mawrie)