Inclusion of Warsan Lyngdoh villages in South West Khasi Hills
NONGSTOIN: The High Court of Meghalaya has directed the State Government to conduct a public hearing related to the inclusion of 18 villages under Warsan Lyngdoh area in the newly-created South West Khasi Hills District by the State Government without the consent of the people of the area.
Chief Justice T. Nanda Kumar Singh in his judgment passed on Sept 24, ordered the State Government to conduct the public hearing within four months from the date of issue of the order.
It may be mentioned that the State Government, in a notification published on August 2, 2012, has said that all the 18 villages of Warsan Lyngdoh GS Circle will be included in the map of South West Khasi Hills.
The people of the area had urged the State Government, vide several memoranda, to refrain from including them in South West Khasi Hills District, but there was no response from the Government. Following this, the people of the area filed a petition in the High Court of Meghalaya.
The Chief Justice, in his judgement, also noted that a public hearing had been conducted by the State Government at Saw Symper on July 27, 2012, giving the public the option of choosing whether they wanted to stay in West Khasi Hills or to be included in East Khasi Hills, but failed to do so in case of the villages under Warsan Lyngdoh area.