Shillong, Oct 26: North Shillong MLA Adelbert Nongrum has expressed strong outrage over the government’s delay in issuing allotment orders to Jaiaw Ehrngiew Transport Society (JETS 24X7), a local bike taxi aggregator in Meghalaya. Nongrum recently met with Deputy Chief Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar to highlight the issues affecting JETS 24X7.
Speaking at a program yesterday during the inauguration of an ambulance and electric scooters at Jaiaw, Nongrum stated that JETS 24X7 has complied with all required formalities, yet there has been no progress for over 11 months. He informed that he is yet to receive any response from the government on the matter, even after two weeks, and demanded that the allotment order be released immediately.
“Do the government want to encourage and promote our youth or drag them down if for almost a year the allotment orders are still stuck in departments? When youth seek employment, they are encouraged to stand on their feet as government jobs are scarce. But our youth have been applying for their permits for such a long time with no concrete initiative from the government. Who will take the responsibility?” he questioned.
Speaking to HP, Nongrum also expressed concern over unlicensed operational aggregators carrying out businesses without police verification, etc., and asked who would take responsibility for the safety and security aspect amidst rising crimes. “The one applying through the proper procedure takes forever, while people without licenses can carry out their businesses without any action from the government, with no responsibility for leakages of revenue, is unacceptable,” he said.
He also requested the district council to check on such businesses without trading licenses and enact the section in the United Khasi-Jaintia Hills District (Trading by Non-Tribals) Regulation, 1954, which states that KHADC can refuse a trading license to a non-tribal if local people can perform the same trade.
Nongrum reminded that the JETS 24X7 fight is not against one rider against the other but against operational aggregators running businesses illegally. He urged the department to address the issues and ensure a fair and systematic approach to allotment, protecting the livelihoods of unemployed youth.
