KSU urged former KSU president to order surprise checking of benami practice

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJune 7, 2019

SHILLONG: Peeved with prevailing trend of benami practice in Nongthymmai, the Khasi Student Union (KSU) Nongthymmai Circle on Friday sought immediate intervention of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) em in-charge trade Paul Lyngdoh to curb the practice in interest of the indigenous people.

The Union submitted a memorandum to Lyngdoh urging him to take this issue immediately by conducting surprise trading licence checking in the area under Nonthymmai.

Speaking to reporters after meeting with the EM in-charge Trade, general secretary of the KSU Nongthymmai circle, Richard Mawkhiew said, “Benami is prevailing in Nongthymmai and around 30 present of shows in the area are benami hence the district council should take immediate action.”

He also urged the council that it conduct an inquiry and checking of trading license in the area to find and detect such kind of illegal activities.

When asked, he informed that the EM in-charge Trade Paul Lyngdoh has assured them that the matter will be taken up by the district council.

He further said that such practices being illegal bear a far reaching impact on the probable and actual wellbeing of the indigenous populace, deeply negating prospects of establishing business opportunities by them or ability to won properties be it movable or immovable due to genuine inability to compete against pricing and cost under such pervasiveness.

“We strongly feels that the inability of various empowered local institutions and other valuable organization setups to fully comprehend the situation and to respect and abide by the law, to the extent of diligently inspecting the existence of benami transactions also encourages non-tribals to not only infiltrate but extensively possess property against the provision of the enacted law,” he said.

He said that stricter methods of vigilance within the ambit and provisions of law is imperative in tandem with active involvement of the KHADC which may even include to such extent as to take a re-look into the current list of scheduled tribes qualifying to take advantage of such provisions and entitlements under the existing Act in Meghalaya.