SHILLONG, JUNE 25: Responding to the reservation expressed by the opposition members on Meghalaya Urban Development Authority (MUDA)’s land acquisition, the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) chief executive member PN Syiem assured them that the council will issue an ‘executive order’ to all the Himas (chiefdom) prohibiting land acquisition, especially community lands, without the consent of the KHADC executive committee.
Syiem said, “We will soon issue an executive order to ensure there is no land acquisition without the consent and approval of the council.”
Syeim was responding to a resolution moved by opposition HSDPD MDC Pyniaid Sing Syiem on the need to urge the state government to prohibit the MUDA or any department of the state or central government to acquire community land.
According to the CEM, the executive order will be circulated to all heads of the Himas under KHADC’s jurisdiction directing them to restrain from considering any proposed land acquisition without the consent of the council.
“The time has come for the district council as well as the executive committee to put restriction on land acquisition to ensure that farmers and also those who depends on agriculture for livelihood are not affected,” the CEM said.
Earlier moving the resolution, Sohryngkham MDC Pyniaid Sing Syiem expressed opposition against the move of the Meghalaya Urban Development Authority (MUDA) to acquire a 2000 acre of community land falling under Raid Tynring and Raid Mawpdang .
Around 2000 households from 16 villages under the two Raids are likely to be affected and 90 percent of them depends on agricultural activities for their livelihood,” Pyniaid said.
MUDA had proposed to acquire the 2000 acre of land for the expansion of the New Shillong Township project.
Informing that the MUDA had surveyed the land without the knowledge of the district council, Pyniad, however, said, “I therefore, urged upon all the 30 MDCs to send a strong message that no matter what, we will not allow any land acquisition to take place.”
Admitting that the existing land of acquisition act does not really give protection, the CEM however assured that the executive committee will also examine the ‘Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act’ of the central government.
Earlier, the Executive Member- in-charge Land, Mines and Minerals- Donevan Wanlang said that the district council has no proper guidelines to prevent the state government from acquisition of land, as provided in the existing land acquisition act.
Wanlang, however, said the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act of the central government has provided some special provisions to the district council.
“This central Act clearly stated that the state or central government have to take prior consent of the district councils in case of acquisition of land in their jurisdictions,” the EM said.
Viewing the issue as a matter of serious concern, Wanlang assured that the executive committee would soon examine this central act and if possible come up with proper guidelines to prevent the state government or any agencies from acquiring lands under the council’s jurisdiction.- By Our Reporter
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