Shillong, May 21: Is the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) violating its own terms and conditions for setting up of check gates is a question being raised following the recent closing down of its check gate at Umdihar in Ri Bhoi district after it was found to be illegally operating on national highway and PWD road.

Point number 6 of the terms and conditions of the order issued by the Voice of the People Party (VPP)-led executive committee in KHADC on April 29, 2025 while appointing Pyndaplang Diengdoh as an authorized agent for checking of illegal trading by non-tribal commercial transport operators at Umdihar for the year 2025-2026 have clearly stated: “that wherever necessary check point/station cum office may be set up on convenient area as may be agreed upon provided that such checking shall not be on the National Highways/State Highways/PWD rural roads”.

The check gate was immediately closed down by the Ri Bhoi district administration on May 16, after it was found to be illegally operating by violating the government’s order that no check gates will be set up on PWD roads and national highways.

On Tuesday, spokesperson of the KHADC EC Powel Sohkhlet has defended the EC’s decision to set up the check gate at Umdihar and termed the action of the district administration as “insulting”.

“We have toll gates in the different districts falling under the council’s jurisdiction and there were not facing any problems in the previous years. Only now that the VPP has taken over the EC in the KHADC, this issue is coming up,” Sohkhlet had remarked.

When contacted for his reaction on the matter, deputy commissioner of Ri Bhoi district Abhilash Baranwal said that the closing down of the check gate at Umdihar was in accordance with the government’s direction and KHADC is very much aware of it.

He revealed that in 2021, a meeting was convened by the state government’s district council affairs department where it was decided that “ADCs under the Sixth Schedule have all the powers of setting up check gates. However, its power does not extend to national highways and PWD roads. In this decision, KHADC was also a part of it.”

“Thereafter, with their (ADCs) concurrent, the government had written to all the DCs to ensure that no check gates come up on national highways and state PWD roads,” Baranwal said adding “Since this check gate (at Umdihar) came upon the state PWD and national highway, so we acted in accordance with instruction given by government of Meghalaya to which KHADC was also a part of it.”

“So, it was not an action against the KHADC and it was not in any way a disrespect to KHADC, it was basically an action according to the rules to which the KHADC was also a part of,” he further maintained.

The deputy commissioner was also of the opinion that the KHADC should take action against such errand agents, who are violating the terms and conditions of the council’s order that “such checking shall not be on the National Highways/State Highways/PWD rural roads”.

“It would have been better for KHADC to take action against such errand agents who are bringing a bad name by violating the very order through which they got this check gate set up right and simultaneously they are bringing a bad name to the KHADC. Instead of accusing the DC’s office to have acted arbitrarily, they should rather discipline these agents,” he asserted.

On KHADC’s defending its decision on setting up of the check gate, Baranwal said, “In that case, they are free to pursue the matter with the government of Meghalaya but as of now DC office basically is implementing the decision taken by the government of Meghalaya. As of now the decision of the government of Meghalaya is very clear which is in line with the government of India’s guideline as well that no check gates can come up on PWD roads and on national highways.”

Also Read: KHADC defends ‘illegal’ toll gate in Ri Bhoi, says closure by administration was ‘insulting’

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