The Meghalaya High Court has issued an order to Hima Sohra to issue no-objection certificate (NOC) to non-Khasis in order to obtain trading license from Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) to run their trade and business in areas under the jurisdiction of Hima Sohra.
Addressing media persons here today, Secretary of Hima Sohra, B V Rymmai said that the High Court in its order passed on December 16 has directed Hima Sohra to issue NOC to non-Khasis residing and running their trade and businesses under the jurisdiction of Hima Sohra.
The order from the High Court states, “Accordingly, the respondent No. 5 (Syiem of Sohra) is directed to complete the process of issuance of NOCs to all the eligible applicants within three weeks from the date of receipt of this order and the respondent No. 4 (KHADC) thereafter, on receipt of the applications for which NOC has been obtained shall process the same within four weeks thereafter.”
Rymmai said that based on this order from the High Court, the Hima Sohra has issued a notification on December 23 that the office of the Syiem of Hima Sohra will issue application forms for all eligible applications for obtaining NOC and the application form shall be obtained from the office of Hima Sohra from 10 am to 5 pm from December 23.
He also said that the closing date for the issuance of application forms is December 30 and the application forms should be submitted to the office of the Syiem of Hima Sohra on or before January 8, 2022.
Maintaining that the NOC will be issued by the Hima to the non-Khasis who fulfill the norms and have documentary proofs that they are the citizens of India, Rymmai said that the applicants also have to furnish the residential certificates from the place they stay, voting card, permanent residential certificate from the office of the Deputy Commissioner, residential certificate from the local Dorbar Shnong and undertaking from the owners of the shop, undertaking from the mining lease for the license holder for exporter and recommendation from the headmen of the village they are staying with validity of one year that will have to be renewed every year.
Rymmai further termed as untrue the various accusations made by the non-Khasis in the media that the Syiem of Sohra refused NOC to the non-Khasis.
Stating that all these years the non-Khasis never asked for the NOC from the Syiem of Hima Sohra but always go to the Sub-Divisional Officer of Sohra Civil Sub-Division or Deputy Commissioner’s office for the NOC, Rymmai reminded, “When we received a written direction from the DC and SDO that NOC should be issued to the non-Khasis, we also replied in writing to DC and SDO that a per the meeting held on April 22, 2021 that the applicant for fresh or renewed trading license should approach the office of Hima Sohra with an application and relevant documents and such documents has to be scrutinised by the executive committee of the Hima Sohra before issuing such NOC.”
Rymmai also said that Hima Sohra cannot issue NOC to any person claiming to be a representative of a welfare committee or any other third party as such committee is outside the jurisdiction of the office of the Hima Sohra.
“Hima Sohra will entertain applications only from genuine individuals residing within the jurisdiction of Hima Sohra,” he said.
