By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The KHADC will set up a full fledged department to handle the issue of influx and illegal immigrants shortly.
“We are seriously thinking of constituting this new department. We require this separate department which would be totally devoted to tackle these issues of influx and illegal immigrants,” the KHADC chief Pynshngain N Syiem said here on Wednesday.
Initially manpower for this new department would be drawn from the existing departments of the Council, he said adding “gradually we would be recruiting people for this new department as per the requirement”.
The Council is also looking forward to appoint people on contractual basis to strengthen its enforcement wing.
“Presently, we have a total number of 79 people in the enforcement wing. We would try to see how much people we can appoint on contractual basis. But everything will depend on the financial position of the Council,” Syiem said.
Meanwhile, the Executive Committee of the Council has decided to direct all the local bodies (Dorbar Shnong) to maintain a register of the residents within their jurisdictions.
“The Dorbar Shnong should have the complete details of the people residing in the various localities and villages,” Syiem said adding that the Council can at any point of time ask the Dorbar Shnong to submit the data for verification in case of complains regarding presence of doubtful people in their localities.
The KHADC CEM said that the Council can also take action against the concerned Dorbar Shnong in case of any anomalies.
The Council has also decided to bar Rangbah Shnong and his Executive Committee (EC) from issuing any kind of NOC or certificate to any doubtful person without the consent of the Dorbar Shnong.
Meanwhile, the ten NGOs who are spearheading the campaign against influx has stressed on strengthening of the KHADC’s enforcement wing.
“Without an effective enforcement wing, the Council would not be able to take any pro active step to check illegal influx,” FKJGP working president Jo Marwein told reporters after meeting KHADC CEM here on Wednesday.
He said the enforcement wing of the KHADC had failed to deliver.
While referring to the issue of trading license, the FKJGP working president said that even on this front the enforcement wing has also failed to perform.
“We could see that there are many shops owned by non-tribals who have not renewed their license for more than five years. It is the job of the enforcement wing to see that they renew their license on a regular basis. But the lack of sensitivity and commitment on the part of the people of the enforcement wing has allowed the non-tribal businessmen to carry on their business without renewing their license,” Marwein said.