Today the East Khasi Hills district administration served a notice to activist Angela Rangad sitting in a dharna for the fifth day to moved out from there. But the activist was in no mood to comply.
Besides getting a reply on email, she was served the Deputy Commissioner’s letter personally by magistrate, M Lyttan who came to the spot of the dharna outside the main gate of the secretariat complex.
Asked what she planned to do now, Rangad told Highland Post that she would not budge till they transferred every rupee they had promised to all those daily wagers who had registered under the workers schemes.
“I will sit here. I don’t plan to move till they transfer the money to everyone who registered and against who’s names money has been released and shown as transferred in the RTI replies we have received” she said.
She said that they had told her to leave this place.
“But I told them that I am sitting here because the government did not respond to our requests for many months. I will sit here where the people in power and in charge of ensuring this entitlement see me and till the money reaches the beneficiaries as stipulated by them” she said.
She pointed out that for the past months TUR, the organization she belongs to had sent letters and complaints regarding non receipt of the money by hundreds of workers who had registered under the scheme to support daily wagers and construction workers during Covid19 2020. But they did not respond.
She has been sitting in line dharna since July 19 with placards around her, in what could be seen is a major embarrassment for the government.
Some of these placards were “Ki Khun Jong ngi Kim ioh shuh ia ka jongpule kaba biang ba ngin don ki smartphone, balei kane sorkar ka sngap’ (our children cannot study anymore because they don’t have smart phone, why is this government keeping mum) by Nongbylla Sngi Umpliing”,
Another said “Ngi bam naka umsyep ngim shah ba ka pisa jong ngi kan jah klep” (We depend on our own sweat and no one will be allowed to swallow up our money).
Another said “Balei ki kyrteng jong ki Nongbylla Sngi ki jah? Ai ka juban kaba shai” (why were the names of the labourers lost? Answer)
And a stinging one said “Ngi ruh ngi thep kyrteng ngi khlem ioh shi naia ruh.” (We registered but we didn’t get a single paise)
The day ended with the DC allowing her to complete the dharna, but sources said tomorrow the area would be cordoned off.
The letter from the DC assured the demonstrator that her complaint had been sent to the appropriate authorities.
“The labour department has taken it up”, Deputy Commissioner, Isawanda Laloo assured in her letter, while asking Rangad to remove herself from there and continue her dharna in some other place.
