SHILLONG, JUNE 29: Wahkhen village, its sordar Skhembor Khongjirem and his secretary A Buhphang are once again in the news for all the wrong reason as they are being probed for allegedly depriving around twenty families of the items under the Public Distribution System (PDS) on a frivolous charge that these families refused to take part in the cleaning drive in the village.
Many would remember Khonjirem as he shot to limelight after the Meghalaya high court had sentenced him to 20 days simple imprisonment for contempt of court for disregarding the high court order by issuing residential certificates.
On Monday, the East Khasi hills district administration recorded the statement of the families who were allegedly denied of the PDS items for the last two years. The statements are part of the magistrate inquiry probing the allegation of denial of the PDS items to these villagers.
The inquiry is headed by extra assistant commissioner M Shira Kshir. The magistrate had gone to the village two days ago but had to returned without recording the statements of the affected families as they failed show up.
East Khasi hills deputy commissioner Sanjay Goyal said the statement is part of the magisterial inquiry as the allegation of denial of PDS items was serious in nature.
Goyal said, “The statements given by them will be examined and the magistrate will also check the records of the village such as the ration issued to the village and ration cards of the families to find out the l fact.”
Goyal warned that action will be taken against the PDS dealer if the allegation was found to be true.
These families had alleged as they refused to take part in the cleaning drive organized by the dorbar shnong, the sordar Skhembor Khongjirem and the secretary A Buhphang decided to cut the PDS supply to them.
The villagers revealed that Buhphang is also the fair price shop dealer in the village.
The villagers alleged that they refused to comply with the dorbar shnong direction to be part of the cleaning drive as a form of their disapproval on the manner the election of Sordar was held.
A village elder, who waiting for his turn to record his statement said, “They decided not to give ration to households who were against the Sordar.” He informed in 2013, CSWO president A Kharshiing had filed an FIR against the village heads.
According to him, police had intervened and had also assured the affected families that they will get ration again. “But some of the families are reluctant to collect their quotas because they had been verbally abused by the village secretary,” he informed.
The village elder also informed that some of the villagers boycotted collecting ration from the dealer who is the village secretary because of the abused hurled at them and vowed not to collect ration till Buhphang is removed from the post.- By Our Reporter
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