Cong backs call to bring Municipality areas in Shillong under KHADC’s ambit

SHILLONG, Feb 8: The Congress has expressed support for the proposal to bring Shillong Municipality areas under the jurisdiction of the district councils by declaring them as tribal areas.
Speaking to reporters on Saturday, MPCC working president, Pynshngain N. Syiem, highlighted that areas like European Ward, Police Bazaar and Jail Road currently fall under the Shillong Municipality.
“I support the idea that these areas should be declared tribal areas under the district councils by amending Paragraph 20 of the Sixth Schedule,” Syiem, who is also a former Deputy CEM of KHADC, said.
He pointed out that the Meghalaya Transfer of Land Regulation Act, 1971 applies only in tribal areas as per Part II of Paragraph 20. With an amendment, this law would also be enforced in municipal areas.
According to Syiem, this move would mean that non-tribal businessmen, operating in municipal areas, would need to obtain trading licenses from the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC).
Earlier, the United Democratic Party (UDP) had also expressed its intent to push for the expansion of tribal areas within the municipality and even under the Cantonment Board.
KHADC Opposition Leader Titosstarwell Chyne, who is also the sitting UDP MDC from Sohra, stated that they want non-scheduled areas, including the European Ward and Police Bazaar, to be designated as tribal areas. He also proposed including Jhalupara, which falls under the Shillong Cantonment Board (SCB), within the Sixth Schedule.
Chyne had said that even if the entire European Ward or SCB area is not declared as a tribal area, they want the laws of the council to be applied, allowing KHADC to regulate trade by non-tribals in all commercial areas.
Echoing this view, KHADC CEM Pyniaid Sing Syiem confirmed that the NPP-led executive committee (EC) has already included this proposal in its submission to the Centre for the amendment of the Sixth Schedule.
He further claimed that Leader of Opposition Chyne and former Deputy CEM Syiem are actively following up on the matter.
The KHADC CEM said that they want to eliminate municipal areas and bring all non-scheduled areas under KHADC’s jurisdiction, ensuring they fall under the purview of the Sixth Schedule.
It may be mentioned that Tourism Minister and UDP leader Paul Lyngdoh on Friday asserted that the expansion of Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) to cover the entire state has already been fully implemented.
“If you take my constituency, for instance, the entire West Shillong Jaiaw constituency falls under a municipal area, yet it is also a scheduled area,” he said.
“So, you have trade licenses issued by the councils as well as elected MDCs. That idea has already been implemented, and I don’t see any new argument there,” Lyngdoh added, emphasising that every part of the state is already under ADC jurisdiction.