Saturday, April 26, 2025

KHADC urged to prevent land acquisition in NST

Date:

Share post:

Local people would be displaced from their own land, MDC fears

KHADC CEM Adelbert Nongrum speaks during the concluding day of the Council’s Winter Session on Wednesday. (ST)
KHADC CEM Adelbert Nongrum speaks during the concluding day of the Council’s Winter Session on Wednesday. (ST)

SHILLONG: Sohryngkham MDC Pyniaid Sing Syiem (HSPDP) on Wednesday expressed concern over the land acquisition by the State Government in the New Shillong Township (NST) which is likely to displace a large number of families from their own land.

“The Urban Affairs department is planning to acquire a total of 200 acres of land under Raid Mawpdang in the NST. Following this land acquisition a large number of families will be displaced from their own land. What is worse is that a majority of them will lose their agricultural land,” Syiem said while participating in a Motion moved by Umroi MDC Albinus Lyngdoh (Congress) on Wednesday.

“These families who are totally dependent on agriculture will die of starvation since they will not have any land to continue their farming,” Syiem said.

He also informed that in his capacity as local MDC he had written to Urban Affairs Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh urging her to stop the land acquisition exercise in the NST.

“In her reply to my letter, she mentioned that the department will have to go ahead with the land acquisition since the whole proposal has already been finalized,” he said, while urging the Council to step in to protect the local indigenous villagers from being displaced from their own land.

“I would suggest the EC to urge upon various traditional institutions including the Hima and Raid to inform the Council before negotiating with any party on any land deal,” Syiem said.

Participating in the discussion, Congress MDC Antonio War (Laitumkhrah) also questioned the decision of the State Government to acquire land within Raid Tynring and Raid Mawpdang for expansion of the New Shillong Township.

“Many villagers owning agricultural land would be displaced if the Government goes ahead with the land acquisition. It is totally unjustified to punish our own people in the name of development,” War said.

KHADC CEM Adelbert Nongrum, however, assured that the Executive Committee will take appropriate steps to prevent local villagers from being displaced from their own land.

“We will not allow the State Government to acquire the Raid land if it goes against the interest of our own people,” Nongrum added.

Related articles

SRH all but end CSK’s chances

Chennai, April 25: Pacer Harshal Patel made the best use of a sluggish Chepauk surface as Sunrisers Hyderabad...

Railway infra, Kashmiri Pandits on terror target; security forces on alert

Srinagar, April 24: Security forces are on high alert after inputs suggested that terrorists are “actively planning” an...

Houses of 2 LeT terrorists bombed

Srinagar, April 25: The house of two Lashkar-e-Taiba (Let) terrorists, including the prime suspect of the Pahalgam terror...

Abhinav claims hat-trick as Meghalaya beat Arunachal

1st Little Masters Trophy Shillong, April 25: Abhinav Khanal took a hat-trick to set up a comprehensive seven-wicket victory...