SHILLONG, NOV 27: A sitting member of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) is also allegedly holding the post of a “peon” in the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly, an RTI finding revealed.
Armed with a copy of the RTI filed by the Civil Society Women’s Organization (CSWO), a small group of women from South Shillong constituency said the name of Ricky Shullai was also included in the list of temporary employees appointed in the Assembly.
Ricky, the nephew of the sitting legislator of South Shillong Sanbor Shullai, was elected as MDC of Laban constituency in the last year’s bye election to the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council after his uncle resigned from the post.
According to the women, going by the RTI report, the member seems to be still holding the post of peon since the reply given by the Assembly’s Public Information Officer (PIO) was received in August 24, this year.
Addressing a press conference here on Monday, Victorian Marbaniang alleged that the RTI also revealed that another nephew and three siblings of the sitting MLA was also appointed as employees of the state Assembly.
These include Wansalan Shullai, who was appointed as Assistant Librarian, M Rabon as Jr Watch and Ward, V Rabon as PA to the Dy Speaker and E Rabon as Reviser, she said.
Marbaniang is of the view that the legislator instead of helping the poor educated unemployed youth of the constituency is appointing his own children and relatives.
Interestingly, the women admitted that exposing of the RTI finding was after Sanbor had made a recent “personal attack” against them by alleging that they have accepted scheme (distribution of dinner sets) meant for the poor people.
“Therefore we are also taking things very personal against him (Shullai),” Marbaniang said while threatening that there are still RTI reports against the MLA and his alleged “misdeeds”.
Demanding immediate clarification from the MLA for tarnishing their image, she said that they have taken the dinner sets because it was the MLA himself who offered them on ground that they are “gifts” to celebrate his 50th birth anniversary.
“The MLA should come up with a clarification on the matter because he sometime claims that the dinner sets are gifts and the same items are distributed to the poor as MLA scheme,” she said.
In support of Marbaniang, another resident of the constituency D Passah said that how will they know that the gifts are meant for the BPL families when both rich and the poor are beneficiaries.
She also alleged that the MLA is wasting public money by constructing statues of former leaders and laying of foundation stones in the different parts of the constituency.
“If he claims to have so much concern for the poor then why not he give them money and rice instead of unnecessary distribution of dinner sets and installation of busts,” Passah said.
Marbaniang on the other hand said that the MLA also constructed a bust of Bhaskar Chowdhury just to get non-tribal votes.
Asked, she said that they are not scared of anybody but they will continue to expose the alleged wrong doings of the sitting legislator.
By Our Reporter
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