Exclusive
In the wake of a series of petrol bomb attacks and arson incidents that have jolted Shillong, the East Khasi Hills district administration is reaching out to headmen of different localities and Rongbah Shnongs to strengthen community-level security and restore public confidence. Through sector magistrates, the administration is engaging community leaders across different localities to encourage the recruitment of more members into Village Defence Parties (VDPs) as concerns over repeated incidents continue to mount.
Deputy Commissioner (DC) of East Khasi Hills district Abhilash Baranwal, IAS, said, “Confidence building amongst the locality population which we continuously carrying out with the help of sector Magistrate who are in touch with Rongbah Shnong, headmen, community leaders in order to build the confidence amongst the public.” He added that sector magistrates had raised the need to recruit more members into Village Defence Parties across different localities to strengthen community participation in maintaining security.
On the policing front, Baranwal said the office of the Superintendent of Police was working to identify those responsible for the petrol bomb attacks and arson incidents.
The administration’s two-pronged approach involves closer coordination with headmen and Rongbah Shnongs, alongside police efforts to identify the perpetrators, as authorities seek to address public concerns and prevent further incidents.
