Union dissatisfied with village leaders in Ri Bhoi

The Shillong Times: MEGHALAYA: Thursday, 13 August 2020.

Members of the Ri Bhoi Students Union (RBSU) have expressed discontent over leaders of five villages near the Umroi Airport lashing out at them for interfering into the projects in their villages.

It may be mentioned that the Union had earlier filed an RTI seeking details of two schemes sponsored by the Airport Authority of India (AAI) which include construction of a washing ghat and toilets for the villagers.

The RBSU had sought the details from the office of the Project Director of District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) Nongpoh and Block Development Officer (BDO) of Bhoirymbong C&RD Block regarding the delay in implementation of two CSR projects at Umden Mission, Umden Umsaitprah, Umden Arka, Umktieh Nongshilliang and Umroi Nongrah. The village leaders of these five villages, while talking to media persons recently, had lashed out at the Union for their intervention into the projects.

The Union members, however, said that the RTI was filed not with an intention to interfere but to find out the truths as the project was delayed and there were also several complaints from the villagers.

“We do not have any intention to interfere into the matters of these villages but since we have received several complaints from the villagers, we have decided to file an RTI to know the truth as to why the project had been delayed, and we are doing this for the welfare and benefit of the people” the RBSU said.

Further, the members of the union asserted that they will not sit idle in this regard and will find out the truth. On the other hand, the villagers of Don Rud Iew Umroi, under Umroi Nongrah village, took to the streets on Tuesday to protest against the alleged ‘dictatorial’ attitude of the village leaders.

Stating that the washing ghat project has been proposed in their area and the land for the same has also been allocated, they said that due to some reasons, best known to the village leaders, the project was later shifted to another village without informing them.

It may be mentioned that the washing ghat under the CSR project of the AAI was sanctioned at an amount of Rs 16.34 lakh in 2018.