‘Hima, Raid charging high fees for NOCs’

SHILLONG: Sohryngkham MDC Pyniaid Sing Syiem (HSPDP) on Tuesday urged the Executive Committee of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) to take immediate measures to help poor villagers who are unable to get their land registered due to exploitation by the various Hima and Raid.
“The poor people are not able to register their land by obtaining the NOC and sale deeds due to the high charges demanded by the various Hima and Raid,” Syiem said while moving a motion on the issue on the second day of the KHADC budget session on Tuesday.
He said that the Syiem (Chief) of Hima Khyrim was charging hefty fees to grant NOCs and sale deeds to residents of villages falling under his jurisdiction for registration of their lands.
He also revealed that the Syiem of Hima Khyrim charge fees as high as Rs.20,000 from the villagers for the documents.
“The poor people are not able to register their land because of the hefty fees. They have been complaining to me that the rate for obtaining the NOC is almost equal to the rate of their land,” Syiem said.
The MDC urged the Council to issue a directive to the Syiem of Khyrim not to charge exorbitant fees from the poor villagers.
Meanwhile, he also said that since the State government is acquiring land especially under his constituency for the New Shillong Township (NST), it was necessary for villagers to register their land.
Syiem said that the State government is planning to acquire about 2000 acres of lands around Tynring – Diengpasoh areas for the NST.
He also said that the District Council should encourage villagers to register their lands because of the need to have land records.
The Sohryngkham MDC also lamented that the district council had never streamlined the functioning of the Syiems.
Jirang MDC Victor Rani (Congress) also expressed concern that the high rate charged by the traditional chiefs for registering lands in the border areas was only encouraging the people to register their land with the Assam government.
Rani alleged that Assam registers land for free and offers free electricity and water to people living along the inter-state border.
Executive Member in charge Land Records, Morning Mawsor, said that he has not received any complaint about the high rates charged by the Syiem of Hima Khyrim for the NOCs.
He said that he has received complaints against the Sirdar of Nongpoh and Lyngdoh of Sohkhwai, Ri-Bhoi district and the Syiem of Hima Mylliem for asking residents to renew their land every three years.