SHILLONG: The Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) Executive Member (EM) in charge of Enforcement and Labour License Teibor Pathaw has said that the state government has not allocated funds for strengthening the Enforcement Wing since 2014.
“Since 2014, the KHADC did not receive the grant-in-aid from the state government for strengthening the Enforcement Wing,” he told The Shillong Times.
With plans to improve the efficiency of the district council, Pathaw said that the matter will be raised with the EM in charge of Finance and Deputy Chief Executive Member Pyniaid Syiem and in-charge of Trade Paul Lyngdoh and then with the government.
He said the Enforcement Wing’s personnel strength of only 76 numbers was a cause for concern. The EM in-charge is keeping an eye on the security aspect of the council and also when the personnel visit the field for inspection drive for trade license and labour license.
He said the council is preparing to have a proper security set up in KHADC to monitor the visit of people which will be for the safety of the elected representatives and the staff of the council as a whole.
It may be mentioned that in 2016, a group of Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) members stormed the KHADC office amid protests against No Objection Certificate granted to Nongstoin-Wahkaji road and vandalised the office.
Again in 2014, the Enforcement staff of the KHADC faced the wrath of a mob when they were checking trading license of non-tribal traders at Iewduh.
“The Enforcement wing will be given baton. Special units will also be raised who will be trained thoroughly. We are concerned over the insufficient manpower as the duty of the council is to check unauthorised trade and labour license,” Pathaw said.
Commenting on some NGOs conducting inspection drives, he asserted they are not authorised to do so and added that they can only inform the KHADC Enforcement Wing of any suspicious trade which will be duly verified by it. However, the NGOs are not authorised to accompany the personnel.
