ASAK founder Reding accuses GNLA military chief of collecting ‘tax’ from highway construction firm, weighbridge
SHILLONG/ TURA: The war of words between comrades turned foes has escalated further and the gloves are off on both sides with the military chief of the new outfit ASAK, Reding T Sangma, releasing a list detailing alleged collection of money from different companies by his former mentor and GNLA commander-in-chief Sohan D Shira.
The collection allegedly involved extortion money from a multi-crore road construction company and running of a weighbridge in the coal belt region of Garo Hills.
The A’chik Songna An’pachakgipa Kotok (ASAK) chief has claimed that GNLA military head Sohan D Shira had taken a whooping sum of ten crore rupees from the road construction company to allow it to operate unhindered in the militancy affected East Garo Hills region.
The company, BSC C&C Joint Venture (JV) had bagged the tender to built and widen the Tura to Shillong road via Jengjal, Songsak, Nongshram, Shallang, Nongstoin route that has been named National Highway 44 E.
“Sohan took Rupees 10 crore from the company engaged in the construction of the national highway from Jengjal to Shillong,” revealed Reding T Sangma in a statement issued from the official letter pad of his new organization.
The blue letter pad with the picture of a white dove carrying a red ribbon and having the traditional symbol of the Garo sword (Mil’am) and a shield dates the formation of the new outfit to November 18, 2013.
In the statement released to The Shillong Times, Reding T Sangma also claimed that Sohan is operating a weighbridge in Garo Hills by using GNLA funds to the tune of two crore rupees to bag the tender.
“That weighbridge has been taken in the name of Lakbath and Sengbat. Sohan has purchased coal from Khasi Hills to the tune of two crore rupees and he is using the name of one Joshman to export the coal,” revealed the ASAK chief.
According to the former insider and finance secretary of the GNLA who parted ways with his chief over differences, Reding claims that compensation money belonging to A’king Nokma have been taken away and the GNLA chief has purchased houses and land in both Guwahati and Shillong.
“Sohan demanded and took 100 crore rupees from A’king Nokma who had received compensation from government for parting with their land for the Balpakram National Park. He bought a plot of land in Nongrim Hills locality of Shillong and has also purchased an apartment in Guwahati,” announced Reding.
Reding has claimed that large scale corruption and killing of cadres by the GNLA chief compelled him to walk out of the organization.
Interestingly, the GNLA has also thrown a similar charge against the ASAK founder accusing him of rampant corruption during his tenure as finance secretary of the banned outfit.
Sohan had recently announced to the media that Reding was removed from the post and transferred to the public grievances secretary’s post after the outfit detected that a large amount of money had gone missing from its coffers.
Reding was accused of siphoning off 70 lakh rupees from the organization which was later used as an investment for rubber plantation coal export business.