Action against panchayati

SHILLONG, MAY 14: Delegation of the Dorbar Shnong of Madanrting led by Nongkrem legislator Ardent Basaiawmoit met Meghalaya District council affairs minister HDR and demanded that the government must  take punitive action against a panchayati institute for illegally functioning within the sixth schedule areas and also ‘derecognize’ the certificates issued by it.

“We demand action be taken and the government must stop Happy Valley Gorkha Public Panchayat at Madanrting from functioning since it falls under the jurisdiction of the sixth schedule,” Basaiawmoit told reporters after meeting Lyngdoh.

Basaiawmoit said the existence of the panchayat is illegal since Madanrting has got its own local dorbar shnong and headman recognized by the district council.

According to the delegation, the Happy Valley Gorkha Public Panchayat has been functioning for many years now even issue character, residential and birth certificates to the people.

The dorbar shnong members claim that it had brought the matter to the notice of the concerned authorities including the Khasi hills autonomous district council (KHADC) many times but no action has been taken against the organization.

What piqued the dorbar shnong is that the East Khasi hills district administration recognized the certificates issued by the organization during the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly elections.

“We also demand the concerned authority to delete all the names of those persons who have provided documents issued by the organization from the electoral rolls of the state,” Basaiawmoit said.

He however informed that Lyngdoh is unaware of the functioning of the organization but has assured to inform about the action to be taken tomorrow. The dorbar shnong  has also threatened to take up matters in their own hand if the organization, if government fails to take action against the panchayati institute.- By Our Reporter