Authorities allowing operation of ‘illegal’ wine stores: Activist

SHILLONG, Feb 5: Hinting at a storm of irregularities that is brewing in licensing of wine stores in the region, RTI activist Disparsing Rani has accused authorities of allowing illegal wine store operations by bypassing established protocols and, in some cases, resorting to forgery to secure mandatory clearances.
Every wine store in the area is required to obtain a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the local headman, along with strict adherence to guidelines concerning the distance of these establishments from schools and other sensitive areas. “Any wine store must obtain an NOC and follow the designated safety protocols. However, in certain parts of the ‘polo area’, stores are operating without these approvals, and there are even allegations that documents have been forged to meet these requirements,” he stated.
He said, “From Polo to Umkaliar, there are wine shops mushrooming at every corner. Do you think the rules are not being flouted?”
Rani’s claims come at a time when the region is already grappling with several infrastructural and administrative challenges. In a related development, the ongoing 6-km Smart Roads Phase 1 project, managed by Dhar Construction Company, has seen a substantial amount of Rs 19.19 crores released despite only 27 per cent physical progress. The project has been earmarked for foreclosure by the government, as per his RTI findings.
Adding to the list of concerns, Rani also pointed out irregularities in candidate postings within the Department of Health. He alleged that candidates are being transferred from Shillong to other districts without providing the mandatory consent letter — a move he described as both a violation of procedure and a form of harassment.
The activist further criticised the local Deputy Commissioner’s (DC) office for its unresponsiveness to RTI appeals. “Any appeal should be formally acknowledged with a notification that the case has been forwarded to the concerned Public Information Officer (PIO), but the office remains silent,” he noted. Rani suggested that this lack of transparency might be a tactic to extort money from activists and hinder accountability.
He also said that one of his RTI’s has been disposed off, but he has not received any information on it so far.