Rangbah Shnong can issue NOCs for trading licenses, claims Latiplang Kharkongor
SHILLONG: KHADC Executive Member in charge Trade, Latiplang Kharkongor, on Thursday asserted that the Rangbah Shnong should not hesitate in providing No Objection Certificates since they were empowered under the Trading by Non-Tribal Regulation Act, 1952, to issue NOCs to those people who were desirous of applying to the KHADC for trading licenses.
“After the ruling of the High Court of Meghalaya on December 10 last, the Rangbah Shnong are hesitant to issue the NOC. The ruling of the high court indicates that they have no power to issue any kind of certificate unless empowered by rule or laws. But in this case, the Rangbah Shnong are at liberty to issue the NOC for trading license since they are empowered by the Trading by Non-Tribal Regulation Act, 1952,” Kharkongor said while talking to newsmen here.
Referring to Section 3 A (e) of the Act, Kharkongor said, that the Section stipulates that the application for issue of trading license has to be recommended by the village headmen after being duly approved by the local Dorbar.
Asking the Rangbah Shnong to exercise their powers without any doubt, the EM asserted that the high court ruling is not applicable to them in the presence of the Act which empowers them to issue such NOCs.
KHADC shuts 102 shops for not having valid trading licenses
Meanwhile, Kharkongor informed that the KHADC’s Trade department has, in the past one year, closed a total of 102 shops owned by non-tribal in the past one year who were illegally operating their businesses.
“We have closed down these shops after it was established that they did not possess valid trading licenses,” Kharkongor said while addressing newsmen here on Thursday.
He informed that 52 shops had been closed down in Iewduh market alone.
“32 of these shops have now been re-occupied by their original owners who had given their shops to non-tribal traders on rent. Four shops have been re-rented by the owner to Khasi traders while in one case the ownership has been transferred to one of the family members by the previous owner,” the EM said, while adding that the traders running 13 other shops in Iewduh were asked to re-submit various documents for obtaining trading licenses within a period of 30 days as directed by the court.
Apart from Iewduh, three shops in Laitumkhrah, two in GS Road, five each in Ichamati in Shella, Mawbah and Mawprem and one shop each in Jaiaw Langsning and Lawmali have been asked to re-submit their documents within a period of two months as directed by the court.
Apart from this, three shops in South West Khasi Hills have been taken over by the original owner while three shops in Shallang area in West Khasi Hills which were closed down were asked to re-submit their documents within a period of 30 days.
Kharkongor further informed that the KHADC has issued 78 fresh trading licenses in the last one year in East Khasi Hills, 17 in Ri Bhoi, three in West Khasi Hills and one fresh license in South West Khasi Hills District.