SHILLONG: The closure of shops by KHADC has prompted the shopkeepers to seek the intervention of High Court of Meghalaya.
As many as six petitions from traders from Nongmynsong area were heard by the court of Chief Justice Ajay Kumar Mittal on Friday.
Separate petitions were filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India for quashing the action of the KHADC whereby there has been illegal closure of petitioners’ shops which, according to them, is in violation of principles of natural justice.
The petitioners claimed that several years ago they had opened grocery shops, tea tall and a repairing shop for survival and they have been operating them without any disturbance. The shops were closed on June 12 by KHADC due to non-availability of trading license.
The counsel for the petitioners said that a request to allow reopening of the shops and for granting a regular trading license had been made to the KHADC.
However, the same was not accepted for want of No Objection Certificate (NOC) from headman. Accordingly, it was pointed out that representations were submitted to the headman but he refused to accept them.
BB Narzary, senior advocate, who appeared on behalf of KHADC, submitted that if NOC is issued by the headman, the KHADC has no objection to reopen the shops.
After hearing the counsel for the parties, without expressing any opinion on the merits of the controversy, the petition was disposed of by permitting the petitioners to file a comprehensive representation to the headman within a week from the date of receipt of certified copy, as the earlier representations submitted had not been accepted by the headman.
The court also ordered that in case a representation is filed, the same should be disposed of by the headman within next seven days by passing an order after affording opportunity of hearing to the petitioners in accordance with law.
