TURA, Aug 10: The ongoing illegal construction of a house by a resident from Assam at Ishakuri village in South West Garo Hills was recently stopped by members of the AHAM, South Western Zone, Ampati, along with police from the Monabari police outpost, Takunbari A’king Nokma and local residents.
An inspection of the illegal construction site was carried out on August 8, during which it was found that several houses were in the process of being built.
According to the AHAM, it was discovered that one Abdul Kader, a resident of Pubergaon under Mankachar, Assam, had sold a plot of land to non-tribal individuals, who are also residents of Assam.
“This sale and subsequent construction activity are in direct violation of the Meghalaya Transfer of Land (Regulation) Act, 1971, which explicitly prohibits the sale of land by non-tribals to other non-tribals within the state of Meghalaya,” the organisation said.
Further pointing out that the act constitutes a clear breach of the provisions under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India, which aims to protect the land rights and autonomy of tribal communities in the Sixth Schedule areas, the organisation, while condemning the illegal sale and construction, has urged the concerned authorities to initiate legal action to prevent further violations.