SHILLONG: Traditional heads and the United Hynniewtrep Movement (UHM) on Friday demanded free land registration for people residing in the border areas.
They raised the demand during a meeting with Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong.
A delegation of the UHM along with sordar (traditional heads) of Langpih, Khanduli and Umwali met Tynsong to air their grievances.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, general secretary of UHM, Charlie J Rani, said, “The officials from Assam would visit our homes for spot land registration which is done for free. Assam has gone ahead with the land registration, why not Meghalaya?”
Meanwhile, the headman of Khanduli, Molin Ramut, urged Deputy CM to register the lands with the concerned authorities.
He said that the poor residents of Khanduli cannot afford registration fees for their land which amount to Rs 2000-3000.
“Since the registration is unaffordable, it is difficult to substantiate our ownership of the land and due to this, we face harassment from Assam officials for not possessing proper documents,” he said.
He went on to allege that the Assam Battalion has its camp on the zero point inside the village for the past a25 years.
Ramut urged the state government to remove the camp and to set up a police outpost at Khanduli to ensure safety and security of the border residents.
He informed that the existing police outpost is at Saitsama village, located 8 kilometers away from Khanduli village.
In the memorandum to the deputy chief minister, the UHM suggested the government register the lands for free for people residing in the border areas and ask officials to start the field work in this regard.
Besides, the UHM also demanded compensation for the victims injured in the alleged lathi- charge by Assam police on February 14, 2019 at Umwali.
Rani said the government has deployed security personnel following the February 14 incident but sought more forces in all border areas which are prone to such incidents.
Sordar of Umwali, Phlibarlin Syiemiong said the situation in Umwali has calmed down but raised apprehensions about the dominance of a non-tribal community.
Meanwhile, sordar of Langpih, Swingly Samakha, said the government should have deployed two battalions. Asked, he said the people of Langpih possess documents from the state of Meghalaya and want to be in Meghalaya and not Assam.
