Shillong, July 4: The Dorbar Shnong Nongrim Hills said the No Objection Certificate linked to quick-commerce platform Blinkit was not issued by the Rangbah Shnong alone, but by the Executive Committee after detailed deliberation.
The NOC was granted in the name of a local resident, not directly to the company.
Headman of Nongrim Hills, Bantylli Narry was reacting to the remarks by KHADC Chief Executive Member Winston Tony Lyngdoh.
“This is with regard to the statement made by the CEM of KHADC. We are not saying that we condemn it, but we are concerned with the way he mentioned that he has not received the application from Blinkit. He also mentioned that the Rangbah Shnong had issued the NOC,” Narry told reporters on Saturday.
“I want to clarify that the NOC has not been issued by the Rangbah Shnong himself. The NOC was issued by the Executive Committee of Dorbar Shnong Nongrim Hills, with three signatories. The party to whom we issued the NOC is not directly Blinkit Company, but one person by the name of Vanita. Kurbah, a resident of Rynjah, who has entered into an agreement with Blinkit Company,” he said.
According to Narry, the decision was not taken in haste.
“So, the NOC is in the name of V. Kurbah. This is the statement we want to make public from the Dorbar Shnong. The NOC has not been issued without deliberation. We deliberated on this issue and took a lot of time to consider the pros and cons of issuing such an NOC. After deliberation, we came to a conclusion and a resolution was passed for the benefit of the general public,” he said.
In response to the CEM’s concern that Blinkit’s entry could impact 4,000 shops in Shillong, Narry said the focus should be on consumers, particularly low-income households.
“As the CEM said that it will affect 4,000 shops in Shillong, I think we should look at the larger picture. We have a population of 6 lakh in Shillong. Out of this, 4 lakh are working-class people — middle class and lower class — and more than 2.5 lakh people are living hand to mouth. That is what we are looking at,” he said.
He pointed out the discounts offered by the platform as a key reason for supporting the proposal.
“The CEM mentioned that Blinkit is giving 20-22 percent discount. We should think out of the box. At present, we have a monopoly market. If we purchase anything in Shillong at MRP, no shop will give you a discount unless you know them well. But if Blinkit can come and give a 20% discount, should we not encourage them for the benefit of the general public?” Narry asked.
“This is why, after threadbare discussion, Dorbar Shnong Nongrim Hills has decided that it will benefit the people of Shillong in particular, and even other districts as well,” he said.
Narry said Blinkit is planning more than one outlet in the city.
“It is not just this one store they are planning. They are planning many stores in Shillong. One such store will be in Nongrim Hills, targeting the eastern part of Shillong. They may also operate in other areas so that the entire city is covered,” he said.
Regarding employment, he said the Dorbar has sought preference for locals.
“The employment factor is not very clear as of now, but we will be working with the Dorbar. In the NOC, we have mentioned that preference will be given to locals in this store,” he said.
Narry questioned the argument that online commerce will destroy traditional markets, and urged KHADC to help local retailers compete.
“The District Council should also consider that if they say online shopping has disturbed shops in Shillong — has online shopping like Amazon and Flipkart affected Khyndailad? Yet, it is still there. People who want to buy from shops will buy from shops, and those who want to buy online can buy online. I think we should have that freedom,” he said.
“Moreover, if there is such a discount, it will benefit middle-class and especially low-income families. If a family has to spend Rs 1,000 per week on food items, saving Rs 200 by buying from Blinkit is a win-win for the people of Shillong,” he said.
Mentioning about support from the Opposition, Narry said, “In fact, the Leader of Opposition has also issued a statement condemning the CEM’s remarks and has encouraged that a license should be given to Blinkit to operate in Shillong. I think this issue needs more debate because it directly affects the public, especially low-income families.”
He wanted KHADC to facilitate a sellers’ collective instead of opposing the platform.
“If the CEM feels that these 4,000 shops have approached him to stop Blinkit, then the CEM should create some kind of syndicate to connect these people. All trade is being regulated by KHADC. So why not connect these shops so that they can also give discounts and create healthy competition in the market? If people get discounts, they will also buy from these shops,” Narry said.
