SHILLONG: An advocate, Kynjaimon Amse filed an RTI application with the Deputy Commissioner, East Jaintia Hills and was shocked to find that the rent amount payable to the building owner for occupying the office of the District & Session Judge, Khliehriat till date has reached Rs. 21, 60, 000.
In a statement issued, Amse said the Secretary, Law Department of Meghalaya had executed a rent agreement with one building owner for the utilisation of the building for the purpose of the office of the District & Session Judge, Khliehriat.
As per the rent agreement, the monthly rent is Rs. 80, 000 and electricity bill is to be paid separately by the government. The rent agreement came into effect from May 1, 2017 and the rent is payable also from May 1, 2017 onwards.
Further, the RTI revealed that out of the total payable amount Rs. 10, 40,000 had already been made by the government to the building owner.
Apart from the above, the electricity bill payable till date to MeECL stands at Rs. 62, 610. The total expenses for the building stand at Rs. 22, 22, 610.
Interestingly, despite the huge sum of money of involved for renting the building to be used for the Court of the District & Session Judge, Khliehriat, till date the building was never used for any purpose by the Government and there is no District & Session Judge in Khliehriat.
The judiciary is yet to be separated in East Jaintia Hills District but an amount of Rs. 22, 22, 610 is spent in the name of District & Session Judge, Khliehriat.
