Meghalaya: Illegal petty shops in East Garo Hills evicted

TURA:

The Forest Department, on January 19, along with the Police and District Administration, evicted five shops that had been illegally set up at the Chisobibra Tri-Junction inside Rongrenggre Reserve Forest in East Garo Hills.

According to sources, an eviction notice to the shop owners was sent in September 2020, but they were reluctant to move out and instead another shop was set up overnight on December 30, 2020.

However, the shop was taken down the next day.

The staff of Simsanggre Range has taken the initiative of pulling down these illegal shops, which would have turned the area into a mini-market, said one of the staff speaking on anonymity.

Often clashes lead between villagers and the Forest Department of the Simsanggre Range who would take down these illegal constructions.

"Sentries would use the shops to pass information to timber smugglers and coal miners on the movement of Forest & Police personnel," said a source.

(Edited by Andre Kongri)

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