By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: In a new twist to the Mawpalai land deal in Ri-Bhoi district, the Umsawkhwan Village Durbar has sought the intervention of the court for the release of the remaining amount of money which has not been paid by the Government yet.
The Ri-Bhoi district administration had earlier released Rs 8 crore out of the total Rs 10 crore as compensation to acquire the forest area.
The Durbar filed a petition recently in the Shillong Bench of the Gauhati High Court seeking its intervention to direct the Government to pay the remaining Rs 2 crore.
Meanwhile, Umroi legislator Stanley Wiss Rymbai reiterated on Friday that he was entrusted by the villagers to hand over Rs 8 crore to them as per the power of attorney and through an authorization letter signed by the village leaders.
After the case came up for hearing on October 19 in the Shillong Bench of the Gauhati High Court, the court had asked the Government to respond.
Advocate VGK Kynta, on behalf of the villagers, had appeared before the court.
However, the State Government sought the duration of five weeks to respond.
The case is against the Ri-Bhoi Deputy Commissioner as Collector and the Revenue and Forest departments among others.
Sources said that the Forest department cannot shirk the responsibility as the land proceedings were initiated by the department as per its requirement way back in 2009.
The sources added that it was on March 29, 2009 that the Forest department had sanctioned Rs 10 crore for the implementation of a scheme of acquisition of ecologically important areas at Mawpalai.
The Deputy Commissioner (Collector) and Under Secretary of Revenue and Disaster Management department had issued orders under various sections of the Land Acquisition Act by saying that the protected forest at Mawpalai land was meant for public purpose.
After the land deal was executed between the Ri-Bhoi district administration and the village, the latter had appointed the Umroi legislator as the power attorney holder and it was last year that the money was paid.
The arguments of the villagers in their petition are that after the payment of Rs 8 crore was made a year ago, the Government delayed in releasing the remaining amount of money for no fault of theirs.
Moreover, they feel that the money was distributed among themselves and to reimburse the same, they will have to sell off their properties.
Sources added that the land was in the possession of the Forest department for sometime after it was acquired and now it appears to be strange to de sanction whatever was acquired.