Clan members stand by Pondit Sangma on coal deal, blame company

SHILLONG: The  members of  Ronding clan have blamed  the company Divyansh Power Gen Pvt  Ltd for not clearing the dues  to them  after executing a deal to extract coal  and denied the involvement of  former legislator  Francis Pondit Sangma in the matter.
Sangma was entrusted to liaison with the company after the clan members executed a power of attorney in his favour.
Earlier, an FIR was filed against the former legislator for allegedly executing an agreement worth over Rs 6 crore for coal extraction with Divyansh Power Gen Pvt  Ltd without  giving the dues to the clan members in West Khasi Hills.
The allegation was that the former legislator had taken an advance of Rs. 6.1 crore from the company for the land, but the money was not disbursed to the actual land owners.
However, in a statement issued here on Sunday, the chairman of  ‘Kullang Coal  Quarry Owner of the Rongding Clan’ Prohollad Rongding Sangma, West Khasi Hills claimed that  the allegations against  former legislator  that he had not distributed the money which he had received  from Divyansh Power Gen Pvt  Ltd are baseless .
Prohollad Rongding Sangma  also said that the person Anni  Rongmuthu Sangma who had lodged an FIR against the former legislator does not belong to their Rongding clan.
“Neither our clan nor the Mahari members of our clan made any complaints against Sangma as he had distributed money as per the resolution of the clan members”, Prohollad Rongding said.
He also said that in July 16,2010, the Ronding clan executed the power of attorney in favour of  the former legislator and he was authorized to  execute the agreement with  Divyansh Power Gen Pvt  Ltd.
“As per agreement dated July 19, 2010, the company was allowed to extract coal from the coal hillock Kulang Abri at Reangdim village, West Khasi Hills. But till date, the company has not cleared the dues which the clan members were supposed to get”,   Prohollad Rongding said.