HC asks Jowai Municipal Board how it is disposing garbage

The Meghalaya High Court today directed the Jowai Municipal Board to file an affidavit to indicate how the garbage is being disposed of at the moment in Jowai town.

Hearing a PIL filed by the Synjuk Ki Waheh Shnong Jowai, the division bench said that despite the Jowai Municipality’s assertion that a better schedule for garbage collection is now in place, the petitioner complained that collection takes place only several times a month, rather than several times a week.

Despite previous observations, both the Jowai Municipality and the State appear to be rather indifferent to the plight of the residents in Jowai, it said.

The Court said since the Municipality claims that a better schedule is in operation and seriously disputes the submission made on behalf of the petitioner, the relevant schedule should be disclosed by way of an affidavit when the matter appears a week hence.

“The schedule should indicate the localities where trucks are assigned, the registration numbers of the trucks and the duration that the trucks remain for collection of garbage at various localities. A map of Jowai should accompany the affidavit to indicate that the entirety of the town is covered by the garbage collection drive. The Municipality should also indicate how the garbage is being disposed of at the moment, even while the compost plant is being made ready,” it said in the order.

The next hearing will be held on April 27.

ACHIK moves Court against communal imbalance

Staff Reporter

Shillong, April 5: The Achik Conscious Holistically Integrated Krima (ACHIK) has informed that its vice president Greneth M Sangma had approached the Meghalaya High Court for the protection against any sort of communal imbalance in the state and protection against any discrimination and danger against the Garo tribe living within the state of Meghalaya and Shillong specifically in view of the issue related to the roster system and implementation of the reservation policy.

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In a statement issued today, the ACHIK said that the High Court had given assurance that if any kind of disturbance or communal if need arises, the High Court is open to hearing the plea but since at present only the statement is doing round and no actual communal act has been committed by any group or section of the individual.

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The ACHIK said the PIL filed by its vice president Greneth M Sangma stands un-entertained but with an option to approach and inform HC if any crisis is evoked in any manner in future. The High Court also assured that the roster system cannot be affected, since it is just and fair, it added.

KSU for prospective implementation of roster system

Staff Reporter

Shillong, April 5: The Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) today asked the state government to implement the roster system prospectively.

“The stand of the KSU is that the government should not implement the roster system right from 1972. If they implement the roster system retrospectively, this will affect our people in terms of job employment. Therefore, the roster system should be implemented prospectively,” KSU Chief Lambokstarwell Marngar told reporters after the General Executive council (GEC) meeting of the union.

This also came a day after the Meghalaya High Court had made it very clear how far back the roster system would be made applicable, these are policy matters that are best left to the legislature and the executive of the state.

Marngar said that the state government is yet to take a decision as to from where it should start implementing the roster system as some of the ministers had recently informed in the just concluded Assembly’s budget session that filling up of the vacant posts could not be done due to the roster system not yet in place.

He also said that many may say that KSU is keeping quiet on the issue but that is not true as the union was doing its own consultation with experts on the subject matter. “Moreover, this is not only the issue of the KSU that we take decisions alone as it is a matter of life and death of our people. Therefore, we cannot take a decision in a haste,” Marngar said.

Further, the KSU chief asked the newly elected legislators to take up the issue very seriously.

“People have voted for them to be legislators so is it not their duty to take up this issue very seriously? If the government empowers KSU, we can immediately take the decision right away on this matter. However, we are making our stand clear before the newly elected representatives that they should do what is in the best interest of the people,” he said while adding that the legislators should take full responsibility if any law and order situation arises out of this issue.

Marngar said that the roster system came following a petition before the Meghalaya High Court which found that there was no roster system put in place since 1972 but the state government cannot take shelter on this and it should ensure that the roster system be implemented prospectively.

“If the government says that the roster system should be right from 1972 it means there is something behind it and this will surely affect the employment of our people,” he said.

He also warned that KSU will take its own course of action if the government considers implementing the roster system retrospectively.