CM: No benami

SHILLONG, APR 18: The Congress led MUA II coalition government led by Mukul Sangma said it has not detected any cases of benami-transaction in the state even as the opposition bench demanded the government must “revisit” the ‘Benami-Transaction Act, 1980’.

“No cases of “benami-transaction” have been detected in the state so far,” the chief minister said in the course of his reply during the question hour in the Assembly on Thursday.

Taken aback by the reply of the chief minister, opposition legislators – Ardent Basaiawmoit and Paul Lyngdoh- questioned the existence of the Act and asked the government to re-visit the Act and check whether it is defective and suffers from structural defects and deficiency.

“The state government needs to revisit the Act in view of the fact that it is rendered non-applicable,” Lyngdoh said.

Supporting Lyngdoh views, Basaiawmoit while suggesting the government to amend the Act said, “Suo-motto powers based on prima facie cases should be incorporated in the Act if government is serious about the matter.”

Pointing out that though there is BT Act in place to check and prevent benami-transaction, the chief minister, however, said, “The Act has been beautifully drafted but unfortunately, nobody has so far taken advantage to use the provision of the Act.”  He added that the provision of the law provides all necessary steps to address complaints on such cases.

According to him, the non-application of the Act is due to lack of information.

Even as the chief minister said that there is no need to amend the act but nonetheless he assured to activate all mechanism for information dissemination about the Act so that people are aware of it and can utilize its provisions. – By Our Reporter