Shillong: KHADC Chief Executive Member Winston Tony Lyngdoh defended his committee’s move to issue work orders for 11 trade check gates. The decision follows accusations from the Khasi Hills National Awakening Movement. The party claimed the council bypassed public tenders and notices for these sites. Lyngdoh hit back on Tuesday. He dismissed the allegations as a misunderstanding of Right to Information records.
The CEM insisted the council issued public notices for every gate. He stated that the RTI request only asked for work order details, not evidence of the bidding process. The council claims it acted to shut down illegal collection points that drained income for years. They brought these sites under official oversight to stop revenue leaks. Five of the 11 gates sit in West Khasi Hills. The council targeted this area after receiving reports of unauthorized shakedowns.
Lyngdoh labeled the current setup a trial run. The council plans to audit the performance of these gates once the lease expires. Decisions to modify or kill the program rest on those findings. “The purpose of these check gates is to curb illegal collections and prevent revenue leakages. For years, revenue that should have accrued to the council was being lost through unauthorised operations,” Lyngdoh said. The Executive Committee views this as a way to fix the local tax base.
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