NGOs demand removal of East Khasi Hills DC

The NGOs comprising of the KSU, FKJGP, HNYF have threatened to disrupt the hearing and verification of the new voters

A Correspondent

Shillong, March 31: Pressure groups in the State have threatened to disrupt the voters’ enrolment drive carried out by the East Khasi Hills district administration.

Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) president Daniel Khyriem today told reporters that pressure groups have received information that on April 2 the East Khasi Hills district administration will be holding a public hearing for a group of people from Lyngkhat village under Pynursla constituency in the Deputy Commissioners’ office.

The NGOs comprising of the KSU, FKJGP, HNYF have threatened to disrupt the hearing and verification of the new voters.

The KSU president also said that if any untoward incident occurs on April 2, the East Khasi Hills Deputy Commissioner Sanjay Goyal should be held solely responsible.

Pressure groups in the State want that the verification and hearing for eligible voters to be held in the respective localities and villages under the supervision of the local dorbars.

Khyriem said the State government should keep its commitment on the agreement made in 2012 that such enrolment drives should be conducted in the respective blocks or villages of the state. The KSU president said that during the recent meeting of the NGOs with the government they were given an assurance that the hearing and verification of new voters would be held at the village level and will be assisted by the Dorbar Shnongs.

Khyriem also said that the government had assured the NGOs that it will direct the deputy commissioner not to go ahead with the enrolment of new voters since it was not necessary at the moment with no elections in the near future. “But it seems this Deputy Commissioner has ignored the government directive and violated its order,” the KSU president said.

“We cannot accept the Deputy Commissioner overruling the government’s order. He should be removed from the post and an officer who is sensitive to the tribals’ interest be appointed in his place,” Khyriem added.

Earlier, the KSU had lodged protests on two consecutive days against the enrolment forcing the closure of the facilitation centre in the DC’s office for facilitating the voter’s enrolment drive.