TURA, Oct 21: Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) MDC from Tura, Bernard Marak, on Thursday urged the Council authorities to examine facts before taking any step to demarcate or sell off lands under the Hill provisions of the Sixth Schedule which, he claimed, has been renamed as B Mahal in Garo Hills.
In his letter to Executive Member in-charge of Land and Revenue, Nikman Ch Marak, Bernard said that it was not the GHADC but the Hill tribals who are the authority of these lands, and the duty of the former was to safeguard the interests of the latter.
“Since GHADC is not the owner of land, the authority to sell or settle these lands does not rest with it. It is the mandate of the people residing in these areas to decide whether to sell their lands or not,” the Tura MDC said.
Recalling the manner in which these lands were acquired for the Garos and other Hill tribals by the English rulers during the British Raj, Bernard said that the GHADC is empowered to protect and not sell these lands off, adding that it does not have the power to change it to Mauza 5 (Non-Hill).
“If GHADC decides to sell these lands, it should first produce a document or gazette notification proving that the land has been handed over to it. Failure to produce any such document will lead to constitutional violation and contempt of court,” he warned.
Recalling GHADC CEM Benedic Marak’s reply to his query in the last GHADC session, Bernard alleged that a plan is brewing to set up the Meghalaya Police Battalion Camp and a Solar Park in some parts of B Mahal areas without the consent of residents from the area.
He said that the proposal should not take place as it will be a violation of the constitutional rights of the Hill tribals living there.