SHILLONG: The secretary of Hima Nongspung, Michael Warjri, has alleged that he was pressurised by the traditional heads and residents to issue the No Objection Certificate (NOC) for construction of PMGSY road in New Balakhawa.
Warjri spoke to a section of the press on Wednesday at his residence. He was summoned by the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) earlier in the day.
In his clarification to the KHADC, Warjri alleged that the sordar shnongs of Balakhawa, Bernongsai Nongspung, Ranibari, Lyngkhung, Hawla, Jimbrigaon threatened him on July 8, 2016 to issue NOC for the road construction initiated by Assam government.
Subsequently, Warjri said that an NOC was issued following an agreement between the office of Hima Nongspung, represented by Warjri, and MLA West Gauhati Constituency, Ramendra Narayan Kalita on behalf of the Assam government on July 25, 2016 subject to certain conditions laid down by the Hima Nongspung.
However, he said the office of the Hima Nongspung in a letter to Kalita said the agreement and the NOC made between the Hima and Kalita on July 26, 2016 stood cancelled since Kalita did not obtain the necessary permission from the PWD, government of Meghalaya, as laid down in the conditions of the agreement.
The dispute arose when Warjri filed a case in the Meghalaya High Court against the Assam government for constructing roads without getting the necessary permission from the Meghalaya government, as laid down in the terms of agreement between Hima Nongspung and Assam government.
Irked with the case against the Assam government, the headmen of six villages under Nongspung Syiemship wrote to him on March 3, 2019 to withdraw the case.
The letter to Warjri ended with the sentence, “So if you don’t withdraw the case, we will cast you from your residence and we will dismantle all your belongings.”
NOC and the agreement
As per the agreement and NOC between the Hima Nongspung and the Assam government on July 26, 2016, Kalita was to get the permission from the state government of Meghalaya following which the witness should sign as per the agreement of government of Meghalaya and Assam on September 11, 2009.
The signature of the witness is still necessitated since Kalita has not obtained any permission from the government of Meghalaya.
The first condition was that the Assam government agrees that the construction of the road is on land and in the territory that falls within Hima Nongspung,Ri-Bhoi district.
The second condition mentioned that Assam government agrees and confirms that it will not make any territorial claim or land right over the portion of road that runs from Patkang to Baklapara via Lyngkhung, Mawdaki to Baklapara via Balakhawa, Aguri, Bernongsai, Hawla, Ranibari to Mataikhar via MV School, Ranibari to Mataikhar via Bilpara and new Balakhawa to Ranibari via Aguinijira.
The third condition stated that the Hima Nongspung even after construction of the road will exercise all rights as currently exercised over the administration and all other customary functions by the Hima Nongspung exercised.
He said as per the agreement made, both parties assembled to try and resolve the dispute with regard to the construction of road.
Stopping construction of two roads
The office of the Syiem of Hima Nongspung issued a letter to Kalita on June 26, 2018 to stop the construction of two roads.
The letter signed by the Syiem of Hima Nongspung, Patrick Syiemiong, Warjri and the joint secretary of the Hima Nongspung directed Kalita to get permission from the Meghalaya PWD Minister.
The Hima Nongspung maintained that the road construction cannot continue until he obtained the permission.
Again, a letter was issued on June 21, 2018 to the contractor of the PMGSY road, Anil Das, signed by Syiemiong, Warjri and the joint secretary of the Hima Nongspung directing him to stop the construction of two roads until he obtained the trading license from the office of the KHADC.
The roads were Patgoan, Jimbrigoan to Bakhlapara village and Mawdongki, Balakhawa to Bakhlapara village.
Letter to the CM
The office of the Syiem of Hima Nongspung sent a letter to Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on August 29, 2018 requesting him to stop the construction of bridge at Akhoinijira near New Balakhawa, Nongspung Syiemship and road from Ranibari to Akhonijira to New Balakhawa.
Warjri sent a complaint to the Deputy Commissioner, Ri-Bhoi on August 13, 2018 to stop the work but the construction has been making progress.