PTI : Sep 11,2010 : Shillong :
Shillong, Sept 11 (PTI) A traditional village court in Meghalaya, which ostracised three families for filing RTI which unearthed scams in NREGS, has claimed that the action was a "misunderstanding" and that the boycott would be lifted.Deposing before State Commission for Women yesterday, Jongkhsa village headman Karmelin Rynjah said the 'ostracisation' of the three women and their families who had sought information to unearth "anomalies" in the implementation of National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) was done in 'sheer ignorance of the law'.The Commission had summoned the headman and its secretary after the ostracisation of Fatima Mynsong, Acquiline Songthiang and Matilda Suting and their families.After hearing both sides, commission directed the village authorities to immediately convene a meeting to formally lift the resolution to ostracise the women and their families.The Jongksha Dorbar (council) will meet on Monday to formally lift the decision it had taken on August 12 to ostracize the women and their families.The commission also directed the headman to ensure that ration supplies to the women and their families under the public distribution system are immediately restored.The traditional village court had ostracised the three families for filing RTIs which detected anomalies in NREGS scheme, casting aspersions on the village authorities.