Village heads for fresh dailogue

By Our Reporter

SHILLONG, JULY 25: The Synjuk Ki Nongsynshar Shnong Ka Bri U Hynniewtrep (SNSBH) has sought for fresh dialogue over the village administration Bill to empower the tradi tional heads, which has been pending for the past two years.

“The SNSBH are open for a fresh dialogue to fulfill the aspiration and desires of the long pending issue which has been hanging for far too long,” SNSBH general secretary RL Blah said in a letter to chief minister Mukul Sangma on Tuesday.

The decision was taken after the state government failed to response to its letter submitted onJune 7, which seeks clarification on the pending issues faced by the traditional dorbars and village heads in Khasi Hills.

In its reminder, Blah said informed that the SNSBH had not received any communication whatsoever as on date though the letter on this had been received by the office of the chief minister on June 7.

In the past, the traditional headmen under the SNSBH had staged series of protests demanding immediate approval of the KHAD (Village Administration) Bill passed by Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) in 2015.

However on August 31, last year, the state government during a meeting with a delegation of the SNSBH informed that the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had raised 12 point queries on the VAB, which seeks to empower traditional heads.

The SNSBH further reiterated its demand to the government to adhere to its promise as expressed in earlier meetings with the Synjuk in addressing the desire and aspiration of the long pending issues.

“This is with regards to the latest position of the VAB since the KHADC had attended to all the 12 queries raised by MHA and the same had been forwarded to the State Government being the ultimate authority to send those queries to MHA,” Blah said.

He also added, “So, also, the case with MUDA Building Bye-Laws is resulting in anguish and hardships for the general public at large.”

Moreover, the SNSBH said that it is very optimistic that these two long pending issues will be addressed by the government, at the right perspective without further delay even as it urged the government to come out on their latest status.