‘No EJ Hills official to be in fact-finding committee on cement plant issue’
Shillong, Sept 9: The fact-finding committee to probe the incidents related to a public hearing for a cement plant in East Jaintia Hills will not include any official from the district and MRSSA facilitation centres will be operationalised by early December, according an assurance given to the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) on Tuesday.
Former KSU general secretary Donald V Thabah informed this after taking part in a meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Dr Shakil Ahammed on KSU’s five-point charter of demands.
“Today’s meeting was called by the government to follow up on the last meeting with the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister. We discussed progress on the five issues and expressed our dismay over how the proceedings were recorded last time,” Thabah said.
The minutes of the CM’s meeting wrongly mentioned that the Deputy Commissioner and Superintendent of Police of East Jaintia Hills would play a vital role in the fact-finding committee, he alleged.
“It was agreed that DC, SP and other officials of East Jaintia Hills should not play any role in the fact-finding committee. We objected to the minutes. The government has now agreed that they will not be part of it directly or indirectly. The committee has been constituted and details will be shared in a day or two,” he said.
Meanwhile, Thabah said, the government informed that facilitation centres at Umling and Rattacherra under Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act (MRSSA) and the District Task Force component will be operational by the last week of November or first week of December.
He said the KSU also opposed online verification of tenants and demanded that traditional heads be entrusted with the task.
“Antecedents should be verified by traditional heads like Syiem, Sordar, Rangbah Shnong, Waheh Shnong, Nokma, etc. They agreed to it,” he said, adding the government also agreed to make facilitation centres functional before rolling out the facial recognition app.
On the Migrant Workers Act, Thabah said the labour department will hold a workshop on Wednesday to train officials.
“They assured that provisions of the Inter-State Migrant Workmen Act, including CCTNS integration and penalties, will be incorporated. First offence will attract Rs 10,000 fine, second Rs 20,000, third Rs 50,000 and jail term,” he said.
On recruitment reforms, he said SOPs are in place and personal interview for Grade-D posts has been abolished, while a decision on technical non-gazetted Grade B and C posts is expected in a week or two.
On NEIGRIHMS, Thabah said the KSU demanded that the Governing Council should not be constituted until its demands are met, a stand also supported by the institute’s administration.
“Even the Deputy Director of NEIGRIHMS has written to us and to the government that the Governing Council should not be constituted until the KSU’s demands are met,” he said.
Thabah added that some progress has been seen on MRSSA and recruitment reforms, and the government has assured to share full details within a week.
