Shillong, July 25: A permanent three-member recruitment panel has been formed by the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council to ensure transparency in its job recruitment process following a meeting by the executive committee on Thursday.
Informing of the decision, executive member Powell Sohkhlet told media persons that the committee will be chaired by retired IAS officer W Khyllep and will include Prof LS Gassah from NEHU, an expert on the Sixth Schedule, and Dr PS Nianglang, a former officer with knowledge of service rules. The Joint Secretary of KHADC will serve as the member secretary.
“The committee will also review the existing service rules, which have been in place for many years, and make necessary recommendations to the council,” Sohkhlet added.
Further, the EM also maintained that the recruitment committee will function as an independent body, free from interference, to ensure fairness and transparency in the recruitment process.
Asked, Sohkhlet said that the recruitment committee will oversee all job recruitments in the council and will be a permanent body. The committee will soon be notified along with its terms and references, and it is expected to bring transparency and accountability to the job recruitment process in the KHADC, he stated.
Meanwhile, the KHADC also formed a three-member inquiry committee to investigate several allegations related to the Mawpat forest. The committee, headed by Joint Secretary J Dkhar, will include Deputy Secretary of Land A Syiem and Under Secretary of Political S Lamare.
The decision was taken by the Voice of the People Party (VPP)-led executive committee (EC) during a meeting held on Thursday, a day after a team led by chief executive member (CEM) Shemborlang Rynjah conducted an inspection of the forest.
“The committee will investigate allegations of land acquisition by MLAs and various organizations in the Mawpat forest area,” executive member (EM) Powell Sohkhlet told reporters after the meeting.
“The committee has been directed to submit its inquiry report within three months. Once the report is received, the Executive Committee will discuss and take a decision regarding the forest,” he added.
The EM further informed that the committee will examine the decision of the previous Executive Committee to cancel the notification declaring the forest as a “Law Adong” in 2014.
According to him, the committee will study the agreement signed between the Ardent Basaiawmoit-led EC and former Syiem of Hima Mylliem Latho Manik Syiem and its impact on the forest.
Further, the committee will also probe into the presence of cemeteries in the forest and determine whether the land was donated or sold.
The Mawpat forest was declared a “Law Adong” in 2014, a decision that was later revoked in 2019, and the forest was transferred back to the Hima Mylliem.
Asked, Sohkhlet said the decision of Basaiawmoit and former Syiem was a step in the right direction for protection of forest and the environment.
“We feel that this decision should have been continued by the new executive committee for joint management of the forest at Mawpat. In fact, this was done as per provisions of the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution of India that the district council should preserve and conserve the environment,” he added.
