Was the PAC misguided by
unscrupulous elements?
SHILLONG: The Public Accounts Committee of the State Legislature visited Umroi on April 17 to take stock of the land compensation issue in Umroi – an issue that has stalled the completion of Umroi Airport. The PAC members comprising Ronnie Lyngdoh (Congress), Paul Lyngdoh (UDP), HS Lyngdoh(HSPDP) and PN Syiem (Congress) were supposed to arrive at the venue of the meeting at Umden Mission but they were reportedly taken to Madan Umsaitprah.
The affected landowners had waited at Umden Mission since 11 am when they saw the Revenue Officials of Ri Bhoi District coming towards their area. But by 1 pm they had all left as they realized that the PAC members had been taken to a different venue.
The land acquisition process in Umroi has turned into a can of worms. It is alleged by some landowners that while the compensation for their land was paid @ Rs 250 per square metre and @ Rs 300 per square metre for paddy land which works out to Rs 23-25 per sq ft, the price of land that they have to purchase in lieu of what they had surrendered to the Govt is @ Rs 200-250 per sq ft.
The survey of land for upgradation of Umroi airport started way back in 2007. Compensation for the land was paid only in 2011 and for the buildings (structure) in 2014. In some cases it is alleged that family feuds have arisen as compensation was paid to one member of the family while others were not yet paid. An example is of a couple with three daughters. The couple have since expired but they had willed their land to their three daughters. For some strange reason only the youngest daughter was paid compensation. Thereafter her two siblings accused her of foul play when she is unaware of the proceedings by which she was paid compensation.
Other land owners allege that they were paid compensation for the land in bits and pieces where only the chicken shed is included in the land acquisition documents whereas the main residence was excluded although that portion was also taken by the Govt.
There is also some land which is noted as ‘owner unknown.’ The villagers claim that there is no such land with unknown owners but it has happened due to oversight or some foul play within the village itself as the village leaders have themselves been involved in misleading or colluding with Revenue Officials of the Govt.
Land owners of Umden Pyllun and the Rangbah Shnong of Umden Arka, Umden Umsaitprah and Umden Mission have stated that the one week time frame given by the PAC to the Deputy Commissioner, Ri Bhoi District to put together the documents related to land compensation, violates the rights of those whose names have been excluded. They said that the PAC members have not met and interacted with all the land owners whose names have been omitted inadvertently or by design by the Revenue officials.
The land owners allege that some self-styled village leaders have prevented them from getting documents vide RTI saying that this might result in land compensation being further delayed. But they later found out that those leaders have received their compensation even while they told the villagers not to accept the compensation and to bargain for a higher deal.
The land owners would also be meeting the DC Ri Bhoi to urge upon her not to hurry up with the process of documentation but to ensure that all names of beneficiaries are included and that the problem of compensation is sorted out once and for all.