SHILLONG, July 3 ? In its strongest-ever attack on the Khasi Students? Union (KSU), Meghalaya Government today charged the student body of extorting money from businessmen, truckers and traders specially the non-tribals besides imposing labour-tax on outside labour. Chief Minister, Dr FA Khonglam and Deputy Chief Minister DD Lapang briefing newsmen at the end of the Cabinet meeting here alleged. ?The KSU is forcibly collecting money to meet the expenditure of its newly floated political wing which is contesting the coming Assembly polls early next year.?
?The Government will not be a silent spectator to the illegal activities of the KSU?, they warned adding: ?The district authorities have been directed to take firm action against the culprits.? The KSU had last month floated a new regional party styled as ?Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement? (KHNAM) promising to solve all outstanding problems of the State, which they alleged all Governments since statehood had ignored or failed to tackle. A written statement released to the press accused the KSU of making ?collections and donations from big business houses through coercive tactics.?
?A two per cent commission on the project value was imposed by the KSU on all non-tribal contractors engaged in the construction of the North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS)?, the statement said. Till recently, wholesale fruit merchants in the State were Biharis. But, now fruit dealers from Guwahati had to despatch the fruits to appointed agents of the KSU who then sold it to retailers after a commission of ten per cent is levied by the KSU.
The student organisation is also collecting money ranging from Rs 200 to Rs 400 from each incoming truck to Meghalaya from Guwahati and other places at Umling in R-Bhoi district, the statement said. The government have also received reports that the KSU was imposing a levy of Rs 200 per truck bringing in raw materials to the industrial units in the Export Promotion Industrial Park (EPIP) at Byrnihat.
A labour tax has been imposed by the KSU on all non-tribal labourers working in places from Byrnihat to Khanapara. Lapang claimed that reports compiled by the Central and State intelligence agencies have established the nefarious activities of the KSU. ?The KSU is donating ambulances, constructing bus-sheds besides distributing relief to poor people. How can a student organisation do such things?? wondered Lapang adding that the activities were aimed at furthering the electoral prospects of KHNAM.