SHILLONG, JULY 28: A group of KSU activists numbering around 60 allegedly stormed Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) chief and secretary office and vandalized it at around 12.30 noon. Police have registered a case against the KSU members allegedly involved in the act of vandalism.
The case was registered after KHADC lodged a police complaint against the KSU activists for forcefully entering the office and vandalized the chambers of the council’s CEM and Secretary of EC.
The KSU activists stormed the KHADC office to protest against the latter’s decision to issue a partial NOC to 43km road from Nongstoin to Wahkahji.
The KSU, one among the anti-uranium groups protesting against the issuing of NOC for construction of the 68km Nongstoin – Wahkaji – Mawthabah, is opposing it on the ground that the road is allegedly for facilitating uranium mining in the area.
Armed with placards, the KSU members, who later seen waiting for KHADC CEM to arrive maintain that they will not leave the premises until KHADC is ready to revoke its decision to issue the said NOC.
The KHADC was immediately put under tight security after the incident with police personnel besides magistrates being deployed to ensure law and order is maintained.
“A case has been registered against the KSU activists following an FIR filed by the KHADC,” East Khasi Hills District SP M Kharkrang said here.
The FIR was filed by the Secretary to the KHADC Executive Committee B Basaiawmoit with the Lumdiengjri police station.
Speaking to reporters after the incident, Basaiawmoit said, “We have lodged an FIR against a group of persons which came to the office along with shouting slogan ‘long live the KSU’ and vandalized the office.”
A case of manhandling against the council’s staffs including women was also registered against the activists.
The window inside the office of the KHADC secretary was broken and similar was the case with chamber of the KHADC chief executive member (CEM) PN Syiem.
The council’s staffs, who said they were terrified by the incident, told reporters that the activists came in search of the CEM, who was not present in his office, and started kicking and vandalizing the office.
When asked, the personal assistants (PAs) of the CEM clarified that they were not manhandled but the activists were very rude and rough in their approach asking all staffs to move out.
On the other hand, the KHADC Employees Association president Leonard Khongsngi, while condemning the incident said, “They (activists) should have at least shown some decency and refrained from manhandling our fellow staffs as we are working here without having any political agenda.”
Meanwhile, KSU leaders has strongly refuted of having any hand in the vandalizing of the office of the KHADC.
“We have not vandalized the office nor manhandle any staffs of the council. We can’t say who is responsible,” KSU central body chairman of Employment Cell Lambor Marngar told reporters.
He further stated that the KSU members have decided to meet the KHADC CEM to express strong opposition against the decision to issue the NOC to NHIDCL for construction of 43 km road from Nongstoin to Wahkaji.
The KHADC in its executive committee meeting held yesterday had however decided not to grant any permission for the remaining 20km road leading to Mawthabah.
The decision was taken based on the recommendation placed before the EC by the Committee on Nongstoin-Wahkaji- Mawthabah Road Project headed by EM in-charge Land Hadrian Lyngdoh.-By Our Reporter
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