8 Ri Bhoi villages leave town committee

NONGPOH: Eight villages under the Pahamrioh circle have decided to break away from the jurisdiction of the Nongpoh Town Committee that has failed to ensure development in the areas.
The decision was taken by the headmen and villagers of the eight backward hamlets — Pahamrioh Lum, Pahamrioh Them, Lumbyrhing, Umskun, Shangbangla, Umrangksai, Umshangling and Umlyngkdait — in a public meeting held on Friday.
The town committee did not take any initiative till date to develop the backward regions despite these termed as villages of urban area, said Kobarson Suting who chaired Friday’s meeting.
“The government has implemented new urban laws under which villagers have to take permission from the committee even for constructing pillars or toilets. This is harassment,” he said, adding that the headmen did not want poor villagers to suffer for the draconian urban development laws.