‘Withdraw orders declaring former British territories as govt property’

SHILLONG: KHADC CEM P.N. Syiem has asked the State government to withdraw all orders/notifications that state that erstwhile British territories are government land.
A gathering of 27 Sirdarship at the Khasi National Dorbar Hall on Thursday, opposed the move of the State government to ‘seize’ land at Saitsohpen without prior consultation with the district council, Sirdar and Dorbar of Saitsohpen.
Addressing a press conference after the meeting, Syiem said, “The State government should withdraw the orders  and instead call for fresh talks with the people and the KHADC.”
“We will write to Chief Minister Mukul Sangma and his cabinet ministers on the issue and will wait for the response from the government. But no time frame is set,” he said.
He alleged that land seized by the State government was being used to construct the NIT campus and other government offices at Saitsohpen, Sohra.
“The local residents of Saitsohpen are left with just 332 acres of land after the government acquired 1312 acres of land at Saitsohpen Sirdarship.”
He said the KHADC may not own the land but he reminded the State government that the land belonged to the people.
Syiem added that he will try and take up the matter with the JHADC and the GHADC, and said, “We will coordinate with them since Para 20 of the Sixth Schedule clearly mentions that all the British territory except three European Wards, all are under the jurisdiction of the district council.”