By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, June 26: Opposition MDCs in the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) on Thursday questioned the VPP-led Executive Committee (EC) over the allotment of work orders for operating the Council’s check gates and toll gates without inviting tenders.
Raising the issue during Question Hour on the final day of the Council’s Summer Session, Synshar Kupar Roy Lyngdoh Thabah, UDP MDC from Sohiong-Nongspung, asked whether the work orders were granted only to individuals who had met Executive Member (EM) in charge of Trade, Winston Tony Lyngdoh.
“I would like to know whether there was any auction process to fix the lease rates or whether the rates were determined departmentally,” Thabah asked.
Echoing similar concerns, Shella UDP MDC Barikupar Synrem pointed out that there was no clear timeframe or deadline for inviting tenders.
Maintaining that the KHADC should have re-floated the tenders if no bidders came forward, Synrem stated, “It raises serious questions if work orders were issued without a proper tendering process.”
Responding to the queries, EM in-charge of Trade, Winston Tony Lyngdoh, informed the House that the KHADC had issued work orders for nine check gates and ten toll gates.
He clarified that these were allotted based on applications received from interested parties.
He added that due to time constraints, the EC was unable to call for tenders. “It is misleading to suggest that work orders were given only to those who met me personally,” Winston clarified.
According to him, all applications were forwarded to the Secretary of the Executive Committee for scrutiny.
“Only after receiving the applications from the Secretary’s office, the department compiled a list of interested lessees who had quoted the highest rates,” he said.
Winston further informed that many of the previous lease agreements had expired on March 30, and applications from new lessees started coming in only from April.
“Several gates had ceased operations after the lease ended, causing revenue losses. That is why we proceeded to allot work orders to those who came forward,” he added.
When asked whether the revenue collection had increased, Winston said it was too early to assess as the gates had been operational for only one to two months. “We will prepare a comparative report after a year to evaluate any increase or decrease in revenue,” he said.
However, initial estimates indicate that the KHADC is now expecting to earn around Rs 32.30 lakh annually from these gates, compared to Rs 26 lakh previously.
In response to a supplementary query from Leader of Opposition, Titostarwell Chyne, the EM stated that work orders clearly mention that lessees must issue proper tax receipts and ensure that gate staff carry valid identification to avoid misuse.
“We have instructed that penalties be imposed on vehicles without proper documents,” Winston added.
Replying to another question from Mawshynrut MDC Srally Rashir, he replied that several check gates, including the one at Nongshram, are not yet operational due to pending court cases.
“We will act as per the court’s directive on these gates,” he said.
Winston also acknowledged that the EC initially planned for the Council’s Trade department to operate the gates directly. “But due to manpower shortages, we have kept this plan in abeyance. We will revisit the proposal in the near future,” he stated.
Meanwhile, KHADC Chief Executive Member (CEM) Shemborlang Rynjah informed the House that the EC has decided that the Council staff will manage the forest check gates directly. “The collection at these gates will be done departmentally,” he said.
Replying to a supplementary query by senior MDC Grace Mary Kharpuri, Rynjah said the decision was taken to ensure transparency in gate operations. “We have surplus staff in the Forest Department and believe we should trust our own employees for this task,” the CEM said.
He further added that by stating that it was premature to judge the efficiency of this new system, and that a proper assessment would be made after a year of departmental collection.