SHILLONG, Dec 28: Following an order of the High Court of Meghalaya, the office of the Syiem of Hima Sohra has issued the application form for obtaining the no-objection certificate (NOC) to apply for trading licences from the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council.
The high court had on December 16 ordered Sohra Syiem’s office to complete the process of issuing NOC within three weeks from the receipt of applications. The court also directed the KHADC to process the trading licenses within four weeks of receiving the NOCs.
“Till such process by both respondents, the petitioners shall not be restrained from plying their trade due to the non-renewal of the trading licences,” the order stated. A group of citizens had filed a batch of writ petitions before the high court, seeking the latter’s intervention against the non-renewal of their trading licences that the KHADC had issued under The United Khasi-Jaintia Hills District (Trading by Non-Tribals) Regulation, 1954.
The petitioners had submitted that they are all traders and permanent residents of the Majai area under the Sohra Syiemship.
“It appears that due to a law-and-order situation that had occurred on February 28, 2020, in these areas, the Syiem of Sohra has not issued the requisite NOCs to enable the KHADC to process and renew the trading licences,” the petitioners said.
The secretary of Hima Sohra, BV Rymmai told reporters on Tuesday that non-tribal traders can get the form for obtaining NOC from the office of the Sohra Syiem from 10 am to 5 pm between till December 30.
“The last date for submission of the application forms is January 8 next year,” he said.
The Syiem of Hima Sohra will then scrutinise the application forms before issuing the NOCs, he added.
Welcoming the court’s order, Rymmai said most of the non-tribals did not come to the Hima in the past to seek the NOC before applying for the trading licenses.
They would directly go to the KHADC for the purpose after getting the NOC from the Sordar of Majai village, he said.
“We appreciate the court for making it mandatory to obtain the NOC from the Hima before applying for the trading licences from the KHADC,” Rymmai said.
He said the Hima Sohra is the proper authority for verifying the antecedents of the non-tribals applying for the trading licences.
“It is really unfortunate that the Hima Sohra was never taken into confidence or consulted by the KHADC at the time of issuing the trading licences to the non-tribals for starting their business within the areas falling under the council,” Rymmai said.
Earlier, Sujit Dey, the counsel for the petitioners argued that repeated meetings under the chairmanship of the sub-divisional officer (civil), assurances and resolutions did not translate into the issuance of the NOCs, forcing the petitioners to approach the court.
Senior counsel VGK Kynta, assisted by A Kharshiing on behalf of the KHADC, submitted that the Syiem of Sohra may be given some time to process the NOCs, after which the KHADC will do the needful for issuing the licences.
