By Francis Khongwar
Shillong ( Meghalaya), Jan 4 : The Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) and traditional heads of Khasi and Ri Bhoi Districts of the state today , January ,4, 2022 decided not to give the No objection certificate (NOC) to the state Government for acquiring land for construction of railway lines passing through the 2 districts.
CEM of Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) , T. Chyne informed that the Council will communicate this decision to the state Government in writing.
Chyne addressed the media after holding the meeting with the tradition heads including the Basan of Raid Nongkseh, Basan of Raid Umulong, Syiem Raid Marwet, Syiem Raid Nongpoh and other headmen who represent those areas, where the state Government intends to acquire land for construction of the railway lines by the government .
He also informed that the state government has written to the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council, as many as eleven times seeking permission for land acquisition and all the previous Executive Committees of the KHADC had rejected the request of the state government.
Chyne said that the state is witnessing an increase in the population of non-tribals and giving the NOC would aggravate the matter. “We do not want our microscopic tribal communities to be swamped by outsiders”and added that the rejection of granting NOC to the state Government is done in the interest of the tribal communities.
