JOWAI: The All Jaintia Youth Welfare Organisation (AJYWO) central body has threatened to file a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) if the Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC) does not fully implement the Jaintia Hills Autonomous District (Trading by Non-Tribal) Regulation Act, 2011.
In a statement issued here, the vice-president of the organisation, Reachingson Siangshai, said an RTI filed by the AJYWO has revealed that there are1,264 trading licenses of non-tribals, who have renewed their trading licenses, are in Jaintia Hills while the JHADC in this phenomenon earned a revenue of Rs 1,21,13,652.
According to RTI reports, 118 of shops have been reportedly using the same trading license in different places.
The AJYWO has demanded that the JHADC conduct an inspection drive and close down shops if the non-tribals shop owners do not possess trading licenses.
The organisation also urged the owners to keep their trading licenses on display in their respective shops.
Siangshai said it was unacceptable that only 1264 non-tribals possessed trading licenses in the entire district and shows that the enforcement of the Jaintia Hills Autonomous District (Trading by Non-Tribal) Regulation Act, 2011 is weak. They will also meet the Chief Executive Member of JHADC to seek his intervention in the matter.