SHILLONG: Many non-tribals are in a fix over the stringent requirements sought by the KHADC from the traders for issuing fresh licenses and their renewal while the KHADC maintains that such measures are for the benefit of the genuine non-tribal traders.
Non-tribal traders who are running from pillar to post for renewing their licenses, lamented that they need to get clearance from the headmen.
This is despite the fact that the High Court of Meghalaya had stripped of the powers of headmen.
Some headmen are refusing to issue NOC while the District Council is not listening.
When contacted, KHADC Executive Member in charge of Trade, Paul Lyngdoh said things are being blown out of proportion.
He said the department is not insisting on fresh NOC and incase of renewal of licenses, the KHADC wants that the NOC should not be older than three years which means that it should not cross a time bar of three years. “The NOC should be renewed because it would mean that you are still a resident of a particular locality and you have not shifted your base,” he said while maintaining that it is not harassment but to ensure that only genuine Meghalayans are issued NOC”, he said.
According to Lyngdoh, section 3 (a) of United Khasi Jaintia Hills District (trading by non-tribals) Regulation, 1954 says that a trader has to obtain an NOC issued by the headman and duly authorized by the Dorbar but the KHADC is not even saying that they need to take the signature of all the members of the Dorbar.
“We are saying you produce certificate issued by the chairman or the Secretary of the Dorbar Shnong,” he said.
He said the move is for the genuine traders as it would do away with dubious and fake traders who manage to get a piece of paper signed by a single person or self styled headmen who have completed their terms but still issue NOCs.
“I am for all Meghalayans,” he said, while lamenting that there have been many instances when NOCs have been issued to citizens of Nepal who show their present address as Rilbong or Jail Road but their permanent address is some districts of Nepal and in such circumstances, how can the KHADC consider such applications”, he said.
Lyngdoh said in Iewduh not less than 20 per cent traders come from various districts of Assam.
He wanted to know how many genuine non-tribal residents of Meghalaya would get to trade in Assam.
Lyngdoh also said if any trader has genuine problems, they can always approach him and his officers but they need to acknowledge and recognise the authority of the council.
However, the Meghalaya High Court in 2014 had ordered that headmen should confine themselves to social development activities of their locality only and not take the law into their own hands or interfere with the administration.
The order passed by former Justice S.R. Sen also said headmen “have no power to issue any kind of certificate unless empowered by rule or laws”.
The chief of the Synjuk Ki Nongsynshar Shnong Ka Bri U Hynniewtrep, an umbrella body of headmen, W. Kharshiing said the headman only needs to verify if a person is staying in a particular locality or not besides if he is a citizen of India or not and whether he has any relatives in Shillong and how long the person is staying in the state.
“Some people just apply for NOC while they don’t stay here so in those cases, how can a headman issue NOC,” he said.
When asked about the verdict of the high court, Kharshiing said they are still issuing NOCs because any issue which a particular citizen faces in the locality is ultimately brought to the notice of the headman.