TURA, Jan 29: Farmers from North and East Garo Hills districts have sought Chief Minister Conrad Sangma’s intervention into the alleged illegal collection of forest royalty on broomsticks.
According to the letter submitted to the chief minister through East Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner Swapnil Tembe, the farmers have alleged that forest royalty is illegally collected at Rongjeng in East Garo Hills and Bajengdoba in North Garo Hills.
According to the complainants, Meghalaya Government had already declared broomsticks as an agricultural asset and an agro-forestry product, which makes any such collection illegal.
“A proposal was also passed by the Meghalaya Government on January 12 last year for waiver of export duties on forest products like broomsticks and bamboos.
Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong also said in a press conference that no revenue should be collected from these products,” they maintained, while also urging Conrad to put an end to the illegal collection.