MLA moves privilege motion against Ampareen

SHILLONG: Independent legislator from South Tura John Leslee Sangma has moved a privilege motion before the Assembly Speaker against Urban and Municipal Affairs Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh for allegedly misleading the House on March 14 on traders of Tura who were compelled to file affidavit for closure of shops during bandhs in October last year though there was nothing in the order of High Court in this regard.
In a letter addressed to the Speaker on March 14, Sangma said that during the Question Hour, the Minister had said that as per High Court order, the traders were supposed to file the affidavit.
The legislator said after he raised that there was nothing in the Court order regarding traders, the Minister assured to place the order of the Court in this regard on the table of the House to substantiate her stand that traders were also supposed to file affidavit.
The Minister had said that the direction to traders to file affidavit was s per the ruling of the Court dated 27-5-2015 in page 11.
“But there was no reply found on the table of the House  when I checked”, the legislator said.
He also said none of the legislators was supplied with the copy of the Court order though the Minister claimed that the order was placed on the table of the House.
“It was only at 1.40 pm, two hours and forty minutes after question hour that a copy of the High Court ruling was given to me by Commissioner and Secretary Assembly which still did not contain reply to my question. Till now, none  of the legislators were provided a copy of the same”, Sangma said.
According to Sangma,  the  Minister has misled him and the House into believing that the reply to his  question has been placed on the table of the House  which is not a fact and “her action had deprived me the privilege to  continue my discussion to get the reply to a very important issue where  the rights of the citizens have been violated by an officer by  misinterpreting the ruling of the High Court causing huge  monetary loss and harassment to the trading  community” , he added.