Khasi Hills road ‘bribe’: CBI report by month-end

Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) general secretary Erwin Sutnga had alleged that KHADC Chief Executive Member (CEM) H S Shylla had accepted Rs 20 crore for giving his approval for construction of road from Wahkaji to Mawthabah.

Sutnga maintained that the provision of the Sixth Schedule of the KHADC doesn’t give mandate for such approval. He also pointed out that Shylla had not credited the amount to the District Council fund as required under Para 7 of the Sixth Schedule. Instead, he had opened a joint account of KHADC and UCIL at the Unit Trust of India (UTI) Bank.

The UCIL wants to mine uranium in Domasait and its adjoining areas in West Khasi Hills district of the State. The area is said to be rich in uranium but several NGOs are opposing the mining saying it would create health hazard. The State Environment and Pollution Control Board (SEPCB) had also conducted public hearing on the direction of the Central Government to gauge public opinion over the uranium issue.

After Sutnga’s allegation, the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) had directed the CBI to investigate and find out whether there was misappropriation of fund received from the UCIL for the construction of the 20 km stretch of road. Accordingly, the anti-corruption bureau of the CBI had taken up the investigation.

The Shillong bureau of CBI is investigating around 13 cases that are spread in Meghalaya, Mizoram, Tripura and four districts of Barak Valley. However, the case of the former State DGP W R Marbaniang’s maid murder case is being handled by the CBI, New Delhi, and the investigation of two missing schoolchildren — Sachit Goel and Harsha Goel — is being handled by the CBI, Kolkata branch.