KHNAM manifesto promises restoration of Council’s power to issue ST certificates

SHILLONG, Feb 10: The Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) released its manifesto on Monday, vowing to push for the restoration of the district councils’ authority to issue Scheduled Tribe (ST) certificates.
The party unveiled its 15-point manifesto at a programme held at the State Central Library. During the event, all 11 KHNAM candidates took a pledge at the statues of two freedom fighters, U Tirot Sing Syiem and U Kiang Nangbah.
Speaking to reporters after the manifesto release, KHNAM working president Thomas Passah stated that the party had identified several lapses in the issuance of ST certificates since the responsibility was transferred to the Deputy Commissioner’s office. He pointed out that applications are not being properly scrutinised, especially with the introduction of an online application system.
Passah noted that the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, in a 1975 notification, laid down specific conditions for issuing ST certificates. He emphasized the need for strict action against issuing authorities found granting ST certificates to ineligible individuals
Additionally, Passah highlighted that Paragraph 3 of the Sixth Schedule clearly defines that land allotment falls under the jurisdiction of the district councils.
However, he criticised the state government’s 1982 notification, which stripped the Councils of their authority over land registration and made it mandatory for people to register their land with the Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) under a 1980 notification.
According to Passah, the Khasi Hills Autonomous District (Regulation and Administration of Land) Act, 2021, contains a major flaw as it allows people to register their land either with the district council or the Deputy Commissioner (Revenue). “It is impractical for people to register their land with two different authorities. We need to amend the Act to make land registration with the district council mandatory,” he asserted.
He also stressed the need to simplify the land registration process, as the current system requires an NOC from both the Dorbar Shnongs and Himas before registering land with the Council.
As per the Act, the Council has set fees for land registration — Rs 500 for village dorbars, Rs 2,000 for Himas, and additional charges for the KHADC. However, Passah alleged that people are being charged more than what is prescribed in the Act. “We cannot allow our own people to be exploited. If people have to pay multiple authorities, they will prefer to register their land with the Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) instead,” he said.
He further stated that ensuring land registration under the KHADC would help resolve boundary disputes, such as those in Block I & II, where the issue is not directly with Assam but with the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC).
KHNAM’s manifesto also includes commitments to strengthen the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution and ensure clean, corruption-free governance in the KHADC. The party has pledged to advocate for the deletion of Para 12(A) from the Sixth Schedule to protect the autonomous powers of the district council.
Additionally, the party is demanding an amendment to the Scheduled Tribe Order of 1950 and has promised to improve the KHADC’s financial position if it becomes part of the new Executive Committee after the elections.
KHNAM has also called for transparency in determining the council’s share of royalties from major and minor minerals. The party pledged to eliminate illegal collections by Himas and the council while ensuring the codification of customary laws and practices of all Himas and Elakas.