Shillong, Nov 27: If information revealed through the Right to Information Act, 2005 is anything to go by, a current member of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) is still working as “peon” in the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly.
According to a group of women from South Shillong constituency, a finding through RTI has revealed that the name of Ricky Shullai, current member of the KHADC from Laban-Mawprem constituency was still included in the list of temporary employees appointed in the State Assembly.
The women group said that going by the information disclosed through RTI, the member (Ricky Shullai) is 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.
Ricky is the nephew of sitting South Shillong MLA, Sanbor Shullai.
Ricky was elected as MDC of Laban constituency in last year’s bye election to the KHADC that was necessitated after his uncle (Sanbor Shullai) resigned as MDC.
Addressing media persons here on Monday, Victorian Marbaniang alleged that the RTI also revealed that another nephew and three siblings of the sitting MLA were appointed as employees of the State Assembly.
These include Wansalan Shullai, who was appointed as Assistant Librarian, M Rabon as Junior Watch and Ward, V. Rabon as PA to the Dy Speaker, and E. Rabon as Reviser, she said.
Marbaniang was of the view that the legislator (Sanbor Shullai) instead of helping the poor, educated unemployed youth from the constituency got his own children and relatives appointed.
The women said that the MLA of South Shillong (Sanbor Shullai) had launched “personal attack” against them recently whereby he alleged that they have accepted scheme (distribution of dinner sets) from him though the materials were meant for poor people.
Demanding immediate clarification from the MLA for tarnishing their image, the women said, “We have taken the dinner sets because it was the MLA himself who offered them on the ground that the materials were gifts to celebrate his 50th birth anniversary.”
“After distributing the materials by himself, he tarnished us and made personal attacks against us. Therefore we are also taking things very personal against him (Shullai),” Marbaniang said, while stating that information received through RTI is still pending to expose “misdeeds” of the MLA.
“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 asked, “how will we know that the gifts are meant for the BPL families when both the rich and the poor are beneficiaries?”
“If he claimed of having concern for the poor, then why not he give them money and rice instead of unnecessary distribution of dinner sets and installation of busts of former leaders,” Passah said.
Marbaniang on the other hand said that the MLA also constructed the bust of Bhaskar Chowdhury just to get non-tribal votes.
“We will continue to expose the wrong doings of the sitting legislator,” they said.
