Chief Executive Member of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC), Titosstarwell Chyne, today said that non-tribals who were not issued a trading licence did not have to go and complain to the Governor or shout slogans in Kolkata.
“They should respect the Dorbar Shnongs and the authority of the Sordar and the Rangbah Shnongs and meet them and submit all the relevant documents if they are applying for a trading licence,” Chyne said.
Chyne informed that the council has told the government that if the documents are in place as per the law the Council does not have the right to reject an application.
However, he pointed out that there is a provision in the law which states that if a tribal can carry out the same trade then such a trading licence should not be granted.
Representations made to Governor Satya Pal Malik last month by three residents of Bholaganj claimed that Hindu non-tribals were being routinely denied trading licences as one form of “persecution”. This then led to protests in Assam and Kolkata in their favour.
The CEM informed that several trading licences to the non-tribals of Ichamati and Majai (Bholaganj) were not granted because the applicants could not provide proper documentation.
Chyne informed that out of the 19 persons in Ichamati who had trading licences, nine did not apply for renewals and nine others did not have proper documents, such as no-objection certificates (NOCs) from the Dorbar Shnong.
Chyne informed that in Majai, of the 61 persons who had trading licences, five were granted renewals, 47 of them did not apply for renewals and the remainder did not produce the proper paperwork.
