NONGSTOIN: Villagers of Mawrok-Porsohsat on Friday staged a protest opposing the decision of the Sordar to allow three wine shops to come up along the NH-44 E (Nongstoin-Shillong) bypass without their knowledge and demanded that they be demolished in three days.
Organisations such as KSU, FKJGP, joint action committee of village defence parties of 10 villages, the Seng Longkmie Nongstoin Area and the Hynniewtrep Youth Council also joined the protest.
The wine shops are located in the Kenkba area. The protesters called upon the Sordar, H Wahlang to shed light on how the no-objection certificates to set up the wine shops were given. The Sordar, however, did not turn up initially.
The deputy superintendent of excise, RC Lyngdoh tried to pacify the irate crowd by saying that the owners went by the law. When the people persuaded him to demolish the shops, Lyngdoh said he could only allow the owners to take out their goods.
Hours later when police arrived with B Ranee, the extra assistant commissioner, the meeting turned sour with the crowd abusing the Sordar when he turned up. Ranee requested the protesters to allow the owners to evacuate their shops safely but they instead tried to set the shops on fire. Fortunately, elders among the crowd advised them not to do so.
Later, the items were taken off the shelves from the shops. The villagers later gave the owners two-three days’ time to demolish the shopsWahlang later told reporters that the decision on the NOC was taken in 2014 in the presence of about 100 residents in the dorbar.
The secretary of Mawrok-Porsohsat, K Iawphniaw on the other hand said the decision in 2014 was taken to allow only one wine shop. In April this year, it was decided that no NOC for wine shops would be given.
