'Conduct drive against non-tribal cabbies'

SHILLONG, Apr 16: The Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) State Youth Wing (SYW), along with the Hynniewtrep Tourist Taxi Association (HTTA), on Monday demanded that the district council should conduct surprise checking within two weeks to flush out non- tribal drivers carting out their business without proper labour licence. Speaking to reporters after a meeting with the CEM of KHADC PN Syiem on the matter, Thomas Passah president KHNAM SYW, said, “We will conduct our own checking if the council fails to pay heed to our demands because many non-tribals are plying their taxies without any labour licence from the council and if we let this continue the problem of unemployment for our local youths will increase.”

When asked, he said that the KHADC CEM has assured the delegation that the matter will be taken up with the Executive Member in-charge of labour at the council and their demand will be looked into seriously.

Passah said that the KHNAM in 2017 had appraised the EM in-charge labour that non-indigenous taxi drivers or owners (Tourist or Local) are operating without labour licence or trading licence and the movement has also recommended that the council should carry out surprise checks for the same. However nothing has been done by the KHADC.