HYC slams KHADC

By Our Reporter

SHILLONG, MAY 4: The Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC) today lambasted the ruling PDF led executive committee (EC) in the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) on the alleged rampant issuing of labour license.

The RTI reply of the KHADC has revealed that the Council under the EC led by former CEM Manstudy Nongrem had started leasing out the issuing of labour service license to private individuals in 2009, which again continue during the PDF led EC and EM in-charge Labour department Donkupar Sumer.

At present, the KHADC has allotted the work to two individuals – Felix Kharpuri and Pynshngain Nongbet since November last year.

Interesting, the RTI pointed out that the role of these two private individuals is to assist the the district council to appeal to non-tribal labourers to obtain labour license and maintain enrolment records from which they are entitle 5% share from each labour license issued by the Council.

Stating that information was also sought on the procedure of leasing the work to such private individuals, HYC general secretary Robertjune Kharjahrin said, “The reply to this was that it is based on the working policy of the present executive committee, which we feel is not acceptable at all.”

“There was also no tender invited nor notice to inform the general public that such opening is there in the Council as it claimed that such private individuals had approach after getting information from their own source,” he said.

Demanding that such policy should be immediately done away with, he alleged that this is a clear indication that there is complete lack of transparency which is allowed to continue just to take care of the supporters of the MDCs.

“Instead of leasing out this work to private individuals and that too by requesting (not directing) non-tribal labourers to apply for labour license, the Council should have strengthen its enforcement or by empower the dorbar Shnong to keep check on the inflow of labourers from outside the state,” he said.

He further reminded that the issuing of labour service license was as per the relevant sections of the United Khasi-Jaintia Hills District (Trading by Non-Tribal) Regulation, 1954, which aims at protecting the interest of the indigenous people.

“If rampant of issuing of labour license is allowed to continue in this way, it will surely affect the tribal population especially in view of the growing unemployment problem in the state, which the leaders of the PDF are well aware of,” he said.

According to him, the Council should consider implementing the Act in a proper manner to ensure that more opportunity is given to the indigenous people.