SHILLONG: Chief Executive Member (CEM) of Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) Latiplang Kharkongor said that fresh trading licenses were issued by the previous Executive Committee (EC) even as he decided that the Council, under his leadership, will not issue fresh trading licenses to non-tribals.
Asked on the numbers of trading licenses issued by the Trade department, he said many trading licenses have been issued and the numbers have crossed 300.
With the issue of trading license taking the centre stage during the UDA-led EC, he said fresh trading licenses were still issued by the Trade department.
He recalled that when he held the Trade Department in 2014, a notification was issued to stop the issuance of fresh trading licenses but it was de-notified once the EC collapsed.
He was asked about the matter regarding the November 30 deadline wherein the former EM in-charge of Trade, Paul Lyngdoh, said tribal and non-tribal vendors are to approach the Council by submitting forms attached with necessary documents and photographic evidence of their vending space.
Kharkongor did not seem to be amused with the idea of issuing forms to Khasi vendors and took exception to recognising of the vending space by the Council asserting that footpath is not Council’s property.
“I fail to understand the logic behind the need to have forms issued to vendors to recognise their vending space which is actually on the footpaths. Footpaths are not our property. Who will issue NOC to recognise the vendors to hawk along the footpaths? Is it the PWD? Before issuing licenses, we need the NOC from the headman and other concerned authorities, as for the vendors, where from will they get NOC to ensure that they are recognized”, he said.
He observed that forms cannot be issued to Khasis as per the Trading by Non-Tribals, Regulation, 1954, and they cannot be made outsiders in their own homeland.
Benami Transaction Act should be transferred to the Council
Kharkongor said that the Council will take steps to check Benami transactions even as he said that the government has, till date, not transferred the Act to the Council.
Stating that checking Benami transaction and the Trade Department goes hand in hand, he said that the government will have to be reminded of the matter.
“Will sent a reminder to the state government to send back the Benami Transaction Act to the Council”, he said.
He said that Benami is a state subject but maintained that the Council will ask the government to send the Act back to the Council.
