A resident of Bisnupur, KB Nongbri has accused the Acting Syiem of Hima Mylliem, Ainam Manik Syiem, of suppressing the choice of the residents of Kench’s Trace-Bishnupur in the appointment of the Rangbah Shnong.
Addressing the media today, Nongbri claimed that the election of the Rangbah Shnong and office bearers of Kench’s Trace-Bishnupur was held on April 17 at Inverneil field, adjacent to the Tender Care School in Kench’s Trace, where the residents who attended the meeting unanimously elected him as the Rangbah Shnong.
The day before permission had been obtained from the Deputy Commissioner of East Khasi Hills to hold the Dorbar Shnong meeting, he said, but the next day, after the vote, a rumour went viral on social media that Syiem had issued an order to halt the meeting and that the Acting Syiem had appointed an Acting Rangbah Shnong for the neighbourhood.
Nongbri said that there are no provisions under the Mylliem Syiemship Act that empower the Syiem to appoint an Acting Rangbah Shnong in the absence of a full-fledged Rangbah Shnong and he further accused the Acting Syiem of violating the rules and creating confusion among the residents of the locality.
Nongbri claimed that Syiem refused to meet him and the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council has also ignored the matter.
He and his executive committee then moved the High Court on August 24 where, Nongbri said, lawyers representing Syiem, the KHADC and the Acting and former Rangbah Shnong accepted that the election of April 17 was fair.
“The Meghalaya High Court then on December 14 directed the Acting Syiem of Hima Mylliem to resolve the matter within four weeks. This ended on January 15 but still Syiem paid no heed,” Nongbri said, adding that these irregularities have resulted in disruption to the neighbourhood in terms of peace and security, cleanliness and rampant selling of illegal alcohol, etc.
The confusion over the status of Rangbah Shnong meant that the locality could not take advantage of the beautification scheme the state government made available to neighbourhoods as part of the state’s golden jubilee celebrations.
