SHILLONG: The Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC) has accused the incumbent Executive Committee of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) of indiscriminately issuing fresh trading licences to non-tribals.
Speaking to media persons here on Wednesday, HYC general secretary Robert June Kharjahrin said that as per RTI findings, the KHADC has issued 450 trading licences to non-tribals from January 2014-October 2016.
He added that as per the RTI reply, a notification issued in 2013, barring the Chief of Hima Mylliem to issue NOC to non tribals for attaining trading licence, especially in Iewduh, was withdrawn in 2015.
Accusing KHADC CEM PN Syiem of withdrawing the notification for political gains, the HYC said the RTI had even sought information about the proceeding of the Executive Committee and Trading department in matters concerning the decision of issuing fresh trading licence to the non-tribals. “The RTI findings revealed that there was no such proceeding,” Kharjahrin said.
As per the RTI reply, the KHADC received over Rs. 39 crore from licence fee from 2005-2016.
Giving figures, he said that in the year 2010-11, the total revenue generated by the Council through trading licence was Rs 7 crore, and the revenue increased to Rs 12 crore in 2011-12 during the tenure of Syiem as the CEM.
“In 2015-16 when James Sylliang was the EM in-charge trade, the revenue increased to Rs 19 crore which reveals that there was an increase in issuing of trading licence to non-tribals,” he said while demanding that the matter be taken up at the village dorbar level so that the public can give their opinion on it.
