By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: In her response to the ownership dilemma which had erupted between the traditional heads of Khyrim Syiemship over the proposed land acquisition issue at New Shillong, Urban Affairs Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh said that the Hima has to sort out the confusion on the ownership at their level first before accusing the government of foul play.
Reacting to the allegations that the agreement between the State government and Mawpdang, a sub-raid of Raid Nongkrem for acquisition of land is illegal, Lyngdoh said “The government does not blindly process documents, it is authenticated and evaluated.”
“The agreement is a clear cut proposal to acquire land which is a viable location,” she said while admitting that there is confusion in the land procedures upheld by the Hima and requested the traditional institution to give direction to the Government on the documents that should be referred as authentic.
Recently, the Lyngdoh of Raid Nongkrem came down hard on the government and the Sordar of Mawpdang for bye-passing the traditional authority like the Syiem of Hima Mylliem, the Myntris (Ministers) and Lyngdoh by signing an agreement for acquiring the land which belongs to the indigenous people which is against the Land Tenure System of the State.
Reacting to this, the urban affairs minister informed that the government is all set for discussion on the New Shillong Township project and called upon the Khasi Autonomous District Council, KHADC to render their help in authenticating the documents.
“The NST is not identified for any industrial area by the government but for development and if the government does not buy the land it will lead to rampant, unorganized, illegal construction, a repeated mistake,” Lyngdoh said.
“Wherever there is revenue land, there is planned and organised construction,” she said adding that a large portion of revenue land acquired by the government is well developed. “Is it wrong for the government to try and do it in a new area like NST?” she questioned.
Reacting to the objections made by the people of this area, Lyngdoh claimed that the people living in those areas which will fall under the purview of the NST project have expressed no such objections. “We have received several opinions on this which needs to be understood and evaluated,” she added.
“I don’t think there is any tiff, it is just circulation of opinion, the confusion has to be sorted out,” she asserted while stating that the government is clean in its approach of land acquisition.