Central Excise Commisionarate to stay in Shillong: Centre

SHILLONG, Dec 30 — What is a gain for Meghalaya, is a loss for Assam. The Union Government on December 20 rescinded its earlier order shifting the Commissioner of Central Excise Office from Shillong to Guwahati. BJP State president Dr W Kharshiing, told newsmen here yesterday the Union Government in a new order issued on December 20 has notified that the Central Excise office would remain in Shillong. The Centre had earlier ordered the shifting of the Central Excise office to Guwahati following an appeal by the MPs from Assam on the ground that the State was responsible for 90 per cent of the revenue generated from the northeastern States. The move to shift the Commissioner’s office from here had created a great furore with several local NGOs opposing it on the plea that many casual employees would lose their jobs. Other permanent local employees would also face great hardship if the office was shifted, they argued. Later, even the State Government voiced opposition to the shifting. Claiming credit for retaining the Commissioner’s office in Shillong, the BJP State president said party MLA A L Hek had met the Union Finance Minister Jaswant Singh in New Delhi and submitted a memorandum pleading for the retention of the office in Shillong. “We also wrote to the BJP national president and later sent a delegation to the Centre to pursue the matter,” he stated. But what tipped the balance in favour of retaining the Central Excise office in Shillong is believed to be the impending Assembly polls in Meghalaya. The BJP is gearing up to expand its presence in the State from the present three seats in the 60-member Assembly. With an eye to the elections, the BJP alleged that the Satte Government did nothing to sort out the matter. A section of the Central Excise staff had approached the party to interview when they failed to get any assurance from the Satte Government on the matter, party leaders claimed.