Outgoing DC clarifies allegation of enrolling dubious voters

A correspondent

Shillong, May 1: The outgoing Deputy Commissioner of West Khasi Hills Arun Kumar Kembhavi, on Tuesday, sought to clarify allegations leveled against him of enrolling “dubious voters” and his family members on the electoral roll.

These allegations were made by the Khasi Students’ Union of Nongstoin circle.

Kembhavi said: “A lot of brouhaha has been made over the issue of inclusion of the names of my parents in the electoral roll of the Nongstoin Assembly Constituency.”

“I took charge of West Khasi Hills district on February 6, 2017. Since then my parents have been living with me except for a brief spell during the Assembly Election. It’s true that the names of my parents have appeared in the electoral roll. But, the names were included after following the due procedure of law and filing of the Form 6,” Kembhavi said.

The officer said that only his parents who were living with him were included in the electoral roll and not his wife or other family members.

“It is because my parents qualify the conditions laid down for ordinarily resident under the section 20 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950,” Kembhavi added.

 “My parents did not vote in the last Assembly election as my father was undergoing treatment at JIPMER Pondicherry in February. Now that I’ve been transferred from this district, naturally my name will be deleted from the electoral roll along with that of my parents,” Kembhavi added.