SHILLONG, May 28 � The Meghalaya High Court has threatened to cancel licenses of medical stores, hotels and taxis for denying services to citizens by shutting down, peeved at how a bandh sponsored by an outlawed militant outfit could paralyse life in the State, reports PTI.
Taking suo-moto cognisance of the effects of the HNLC bandh yesterday on normal life, businesses and educational institutions, a full Bench of the High Court, headed by Chief Justice Uma Nath Singh, summoned DGP Rajiv Mehta and other senior government officials to report before the court in the evening.
�We direct the State Government and the CEO of Municipal Corporation to issue notice to all such shops and business establishments, in particular, the medical shops and hotels and also to taxi owners as to why their licences will not be cancelled for staying away from their lawful avocation,� the bench said.
The bench said that despite repeated assurance of protection by the State Government, they (the said establishments) chose to remain closed during such bandhs.
Seeking to hold the bandh-sponsors liable to pay for damage and loss caused, the High Court bench said, �even the State Government can be asked to pay damages to citizens if it fails to stop bandh, strike and hartal, etc.�
On violation of the order, the State Government was directed to register criminal cases under appropriate provisions of the law besides proceeding under the Contempt of Courts Act.
HNLC had sponsored a 24-hour bandh yesterday in Khasi-Jaintia Hills region demanding the State Government�s nod on two separate village administration bills passed by the Autonomous District Councils of Khasi and Jaintia Hills.
Our Correspondent adds: The High Court also said that to maintain normalcy, the State Government may from time to time take the assistance of the paramilitary forces stationed in the State Capital and hold flag march to �dispel fear from the mind of common citizens.�
The High Court also said that all the Central and State Government organisations may be directed to file affidavits regarding the position of attendance of staff on the date of bandh called by the HNLC.
The Court said that �it has become a regular feature in the day to day life of Meghalaya, particularly, the city of Shillong to observe bandh even on a hoax call in the name of this organisation said to be operating from Bangladesh. It is reported that as a result of the bandh called by the HNLC the even tempo of otherwise peaceful public life has been badly disturbed�.
Meanwhile, the next date of hearing of the case has been fixed on June 10.
