ILP agitation: Loss is over Rs 31 crore
SHILLONG: There was a loss of Rs 25.94 crore for the Government due to the loss of man-hours alone during the agitations called by the pro-ILP groups even as the total loss in the State, which includes damage to public and private property, amounted to over Rs 31 crore.
As per the petition filed before the special court by the Government to try the cases against the NGOs sponsoring agitations over ILP, besides the loss of man-hours calculated by personnel and administrative reforms department, the loss of revenue as per the Commissioner of Taxes was Rs 1.70 crore.
The special court was constituted by the Government to make the NGOs sponsoring agitations accountable for the losses incurred during the strikes as per the Meghalaya Maintenance of Public Order Act (MMPO) . The Act makes it mandatory for the NGOs to compensate for the losses incurred during their agitation.
There was a total loss of over Rs 31 crore (Rs 31,09,50,158) during the agitations sponsored by the NGOs which also resulted in the damage to both public and private property.
In East Khasi Hills, the damage to public and private properties has been estimated at Rs 1,25,33,800 while in Ri-Bhoi district, the damage to properties is Rs 4,89,000. In West Jaintia Hills, the loss is Rs 16, 52,000 and in South West Khasi Hills the loss is Rs 50,000.
In West Khasi Hills, the damage to property is Rs 43,45,700 while in West Garo Hills it is Rs 1,54,79,658.
There was no damage to property in other district as per the petition filed before the special court.
The total loss of Rs 31, 09, 50,158 calculated as per the loss of man days, revenue loss and loss to property does not include the damage to the BSNL warehouse which was gutted in fire during the agitations.
Since the petition was filed before the special court on October 15, the cases which were reported later were not included and additional petitions on the losses will be filed by the Government separately, an official said.
The Government had amended the MMPO Act to make the deputy commissioners as the assessment authorities of the losses and a first class judicial magistrate as the head of the special court.
The loss break- up
Major areas
Man days: Rs 25.94 crore
Taxes: Rs 1.70 crore.
Damage to property (public and private)
East Khasi Hills: Rs. 1,25,33,800
Ri-Bhoi: Rs. 4,89,000
West Jaintia Hills: Rs. 16, 52,000
South West Khasi Hills: Rs. 50,000
West Khasi Hills: Rs. 43,45,700
West Garo Hills: Rs. 1,54,79,658
Total: Rs 31,09,50,158