Shylla tenders apology for remarks on standing counsel’s experience

STAFF CORRESPONDENT
SHILLONG, March 14: Veteran politician and member of the KHADC from UDP, H S Shylla tendered a public apology to the standing counsel of the KHADC, P Sabatini Nongbri on Tuesday,
Shylla was served with a  Rs 1 crore defamation notice by the district standing counsel for his alleged remark on the experience of the counsel. The statement was made on February 7 at a public meeting held at Laitkor, 15 kilometers from here.
Shylla in his public apology said, “It was purely an expression of anger and disappointment of the people of Laitkor and other surrounding villages on the encroachment of MUDA into the areas of the KHADC.”
The meeting which was attended by P N Syiem, MLA and CEM of KHADC, Ardent M Basaiawmoit, MLA and former CEM of KHADC was chaired by Arun Leord Mawrie, Chairman of Laitkor Dorbar Pyllun. Reacting to Ardent M Basaiawmoit’s (MLA) claims that he was engaging himself in the process of consulting with the legal experts in solving the problem of encroachment by MUDA at Laitkor village and other adjoining villages, Shylla said, “It was specifically on this part of his statement that I reacted sharply by questioning him the necessity of consulting legal experts now on one single and simple issue i.e. the encroachment by MUDA.”
Furthering his contention, Shylla questioned on how a senior legal expert who successfully served the KHADC as Standing Counsel for many years and replaced by fresh and young advocate with only three years of experience at that point of time (2014). “To clarify any confusion and doubt, the intention of my speech at that time was primarily against the former CEM of KHADC, Ardent Basaiawmoit, MLA of Nongkrem and no one else,” he concluded, adding, “I had no intention to defame any one and have not uttered anything derogatory with any intention to malign anyone in the public meeting held at Laitkor,” he said.