SHILLONG: The Dorbar Shnong Pahammawlein has served a legal notice to the state government against setting up entry point on Transport department land at Umling, Ri Bhoi.
The legal notice issued by the lawyer of Dorbar Shnong, Pahammawlein, 20th Mile said the Dorbar was disappointed by the recent decision to relocate the entry point from 19th Mile, Pahammawlein to the Transport department land located at Umling.
According to the Dorbar, the proposed move by the government to set up entry point in Umling is unconstitutional, which will inevitably result in wasteful expenditure of scarce public resources.
The legality of setting up the entry point (facilitation centre) after the toll plaza at 20th Mile has not been properly and objectively examined by the state government, the notice said.
“The entry point-cum-facilitation centre in Umling, after the toll plaza, will have a harrowing and traumatic effect on the individuals who have already paid toll tax in the toll plaza, but denied entry into the state for not having valid documents”, the Dorbar said, adding that such individuals will have to pay toll again on their way out.
The Dorbar added that the government is legally bound to let any individual use the National Highway, once toll is paid.
There are several state PWD roads before the proposed location in Umling which give unhindered access to migrants to escape the verification of documents at the entry point, the Dorbar said.
The notice added that in this context, the purpose of setting up the entry point-cum-facilitation centre which is to keep a check on influx of illegal migrants, will be defeated.
For effectiveness, the entry point should be set up as close to the inter-state border as possible instead of Umling, it said.
Pahammawlein village is underdeveloped and Dorbar Shnong had hoped for improving and uplifting the economic condition of their village with the setting up of the entry point, the notice said.
According to the Dorbar, the decision of the government to relocate the entry point, after completing 95 per cent of acquisition process over three-and-a-half years at 19th Mile, is unjustified and questionable.
“The state government cannot go against the basic principles of
natural justice or set up an ineffective mechanism which is unlawful
simply because it wants to cut costs”, the notice said.
The Dorbar also threatened to go ahead with appropriate litigation if there is no positive response from the government.
