SHILLONG: UDP’s Jemino Mawthoh on Monday moved a cut motion in the Assembly on the need to reclaim land from the defence forces even as he urged the State Government to raise the matter with the concerned authorities.
Replying to the cut motion, Deputy Chief Minister in-charge Revenue, R C Laloo said that it is the Government’s duty is to protect its land even as he informed the House that there is no record with the Revenue department of the total land under defence forces.
He added that the figures the Revenue department received of the defence land were prior to India’s independence as well as those that can be dated back to the time when the State was a part of Assam.
“We are building up records now. No other district in the state has the presence of defence forces,” he said.
Meanwhile, quoting figures provided by the defence forces, Mawthoh said that the total area under forces in the State is 5397.9579 acres out of which 1881.3199 acres were in Shillong.
“The figures come from the Defense Forces and not from revenue records. How do we contest that there are no cases of encroachment?” he asked.
Stating that Meghalaya is strategically located, he questioned the department on the records obtained.
Supporting the motion, HSPDP’s Ardent Basaiawmoit urged the Government to constitute a commission to examine as to how the defence forces acquired the lands. Laloo informed the House that the defence forces have asked the department to make a survey of the land and the proposal is being examined.
In connection with the survey of land, he said that the revenue department needs to build up its own records before the matter is taken up with another authority (defence forces).
“A special committee comprising of the Commissioner and Secretary of the Political department has been constituted to examine alternative land to be handed over to the Civic Authorities,” he said.
