By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, March 30: KHADC Opposition Leader Titosstarwell Chyne on Sunday stressed the need for the council to have its own official map, stating that it is long overdue.
“It is unfortunate that we have not addressed this issue for so many years. This is a fresh perspective,” Chyne said.
He commended HSPDP MDC from Mawshynrut, Srally Rashir, for raising the matter during the recently concluded Council budget session. Chyne suggested that the council’s map should be based on the maps of various Himas and Elakas
Recalling his tenure as chairman of the KHADC Boundary Committee during discussions between the Meghalaya Government and its counterpart on the inter-state boundary issue, he said he had convened a meeting of all heads and chiefs, asking them to bring the maps of their respective Himas and Elakas.
According to him, it was proposed that the boundaries of the council and the state should align with the historical maps of these traditional institutions. “We had to rely on documents submitted by the Himas and Elakas to stake our claim over areas along the inter-state border,” Chyne added.
Earlier, KHADC Executive Member in charge of the Land Department, Powell Sohkhlet, assured the House that the executive committee would consider the opposition’s suggestion to create an official map for the council.
Responding on the final day of the budget session, Sohkhlet stated that the council’s boundaries are traditionally defined by those of the Himas, Elakas, and villages.
However, he acknowledged that there is no record of previous discussions regarding the need for an official map. “But we will take steps if we determine that having an official map is necessary,” he said.