‘Govt cannot implement MUDA byelaws without KHADC consent’

SHILLONG: KHADC Chief Executive Member (CEM) Pynshngain N Syiem on Friday maintained that the State Government cannot implement its building byelaws in the Scheduled areas without taking the Council into confidence.
“We will stick to our stand that as per the provisions of the existing laws it is clearly laid down that the Government will have to take the consent of the Council before deciding to implement the building bye laws in Scheduled areas,” Syiem said here while informing about the minutes of the meeting of a delegation of KHADC MDCs with Chief Minister Mukul Sangma on Thursday.
While referring to Chapter 1 (preliminary) of the Meghalaya Town and Country Planning Act, 1973, the KHADC CEM said this section states that building byelaws will be applicable in the scheduled areas only after receiving the consent of the Autonomous District Councils (ADCs).
“Therefore, there is no confusion that the MUDA byelaws cannot be implemented in the scheduled areas,” the KHADC CEM said.
He further said that the fresh notification of Meghalaya Urban Development Authority to implement the Building Bye-Laws cannot be over and above the existing laws.
“We have made it very clear that the KHADC will go ahead with the implementation of its own building byelaws as empowered by the provisions laid down in the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution.
“We expect the State Government to provide us with copies of the documents to clear all doubts over the confusion concerning the implementation of the building byelaws,” the CEM said.
It may be mentioned that 22 MDCs were part of the delegation which had met Chief Minister Mukul Sangma in the city on Thursday.