KSU serves 1-week ultimatum to JHADC to make operational 3 tea gardens

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaNovember 30, 2021

The Khasi Student Union (KSU) Lapangap Circle on Tuesday served a one week ultimatum to the Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC) to operationalize the abandon tea gardens in Moorangtung, Mookyntain and Raitsiatmuid. 

The Union also threatened to seek the Meghalaya High Court’s intervention into the alleged misappropriation of public funds, if the JHADC fails to comply with the demand. 

Speaking to media persons, KSU president of Khanduli Tynshain Krem informed that the three tea gardens in Khanduli area were sanctioned by the JHADC in 2006-2014 at a cost of over Rs 2.69 crore. 

Unfortunately, till date these three gardens have failed to generate any revenue to the council or the region as a whole, he said.

“The JHADC had spent over Rs 1.54 crore to implement the tea garden projects in these three places from 2006 till 2014 but as per RTI findings, these tea gardens were not able to generate any income for the district council or the people in the area” said Krem.

Krem said only Moorangtung tea garden of the three was able to bring little profit despite having spent over Rs 1.54 crore and having thousands of employees. 

He added that it has been almost 15 years since the tea garden projects was started in Khanduli area but till date the JHADC has not utilised an amount of Rs.1.14 crore hence the Union urged the district council to come clean on how the funds was utilized for the projects. 

“Moorangtung, Mookyntain and Riatsaitmuid tea gardens is about 15 acres and the JHADC has sanctioned over 2 crores yet the region has not seen any profits generates from these gardens hence we will give two weeks times to the district council to make sure that these funds are not misused for personal gains” he added. 

Meanwhile KSU Lapangap president Augustin Timung urged the JHADC to continue with the tea gardens projects in the area with proper mechanisms so that funds are misused. He added the tea gardens are situated near the Assam border hence it would be helpful for the district council to stake claim to the land especially with the ongoing border talks. 

“If the JHADC continues with the projects it will help the district council to generate revenues and will also help to claim ownership of the land as the land is close to the border with Assam” said Timung.