SHILLONG, July 15: The Voice of the People Party (VPP) has demanded a probe by the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) Executive Committee into allegations that certain MLAs have been allotted plots of land within Law Mawpat (formerly Law Syiem), declared as “Law Adong” (protected forest) in 2014.
The demand came after the VPP leadership inspected the protected forest on Tuesday to assess its current status.
“We have received information that some MLAs have managed to secure plots inside Law Mawpat. We will ask the KHADC to investigate and confirm the truth. If found to be true, we will oppose the allocation of land within a protected forest,” VPP president Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit said.
He underlined the struggles of ordinary citizens who find it difficult to acquire land for building homes and questioned the fairness of granting such privileges to elected representatives.
“How can we accept that land is being distributed to the MLAs in an area meant to be preserved for future generations?” he asked.
Basaiawmoit said that the party would soon write to the KHADC’s Executive Committee to present their inspection findings.
He also reiterated the VPP’s commitment to safeguarding the 2018 agreement between the KHADC and the Mylliem Syiemship concerning the management and protection of the area.
The KHADC, under the leadership of then Chief Executive Member (CEM) Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit and the late Syiem of Mylliem, Latho Manik Syiem, declared the pine-covered hills of Mawpat a “Law Adong” on June 6, 2014.
The 1,700-acre forest, planted by the Soil and Water Conservation Department in 1978 and returned to the Mylliem Syiemship in 1998, was jointly agreed to be preserved under a pact signed on May 22, 2014.
During the inspection, the VPP chief expressed disappointment over various developments inside the protected forest, including the removal of the commemorative plaque marking the 2014 agreement.
“We are deeply concerned about the ongoing environmental degradation. There’s no point in focusing solely on infrastructure or financial prosperity if people are deprived of clean air and safe drinking water,” he said, stressing that the forest is a community property, not for individual benefit.
Basaiawmoit also noted that a road had been constructed within the forest area. While not opposed to development, he sought to know whether the KHADC had granted permission for such activities.
“We noticed several constructions happening inside the forest. It seems that these are being done with the knowledge of the Syiem of Mylliem,” he added, emphasising that both the KHADC and the traditional authority should have acted to safeguard the area.
Regretting the inaction, Basaiawmoit called on the residents of Mawpat, Golf Link, and Mawlai to take responsibility for protecting Law Mawpat as community custodians. “They must act not with the intent of acquiring land for personal gain but with a commitment to preserve this forest for future generations,” he stated.
He expressed confidence that with the VPP now leading the KHADC, the Executive Committee would take the necessary steps in the best interest of the people and the environment.
