SHILLONG: A section of villagers from Umlaiteng village in Ri-Bhoi falling under Mawhati Constituency have opposed the move of the government to convert land in their village to dumping ground.
Addressing the Press here on Monday, Pateng Marsing from Poor People’s Movement, Ri-Bhoi district said the proposed land belonged toHerbert Wilson Trevor Syiem.
“It is not clear as no public hearing was held. We will lodge a complaint with the Urban Affairs Minister, Hamletson Dohling. We will not allow the government to shift the marten to Umlaiteng,” he said.
President of Seng Longkmie, Phillin Dorphang said the land was a source of spring water and many agricultural lands were spread across the said area marked as a proposed marten dumping ground.
Interestingly, the headman of Mawdiengngan, a village which was carved out of Umlaiteng, issued No Objection Certificate (NOC) for setting up the marten.
Marsing also showed a letter from the Deputy Commissioner, Ri-Bhoi district to the president/secretary of seng longkmie, Dorbar Umlaiteng relating with the acquisition of land for setting up of Municipal or Meghalaya Urban Development Authority (MUDA).
The DC mentioned that the office of the DC had received an application from Manosha Warjri (Power of Attorney of Herbert Wilson Trevor Syiem) seeking NOC for the sale of land at Mawdiengngan village, Ri-Bhoi for an area measuring about 5000 acres to the MUDA for the purpose of converting it as a place for garbage disposal.
However, Syiem on his letter dated, July 27, 2018 informed the DC’s office that he was not interested in offering his land for the said purpose and had also withdrawn the power of attorney that he had given to Warjri.
Dorphang said the area was measured to be 5000 acres after the agricultural lands of the people were also taken into account, otherwise, she said the plot of lands was rather small.