The National People’s Party (NPP) today demanded that the Chief Executive Member of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) take necessary steps in order to convene a special session of the council specifically to reintroduce the Khasi Hills Autonomous District (Regulation and Administration of Land) Bill, 2021.
In a press statement issued by the President of the NPP’s West Khasi Hills unit, Macmillan Byrsat, it was stated that the bill is necessary to protect the land of the Khasi people.
Byrsat in a letter handed to the CEM of the KHADC today stated that the main issue concerning the general public is to bring in the law to safeguard the ownership of the land in the Khasi Hills by way of codifying the local land tenure system.
Under Chyne’s leadership, the KHADC has constituted the drafting committee with regard to the land bill but, while it was passed by the council, it was returned by the state government due to conflicts between the state government’s and council’s spheres.
Byrsat also noted that the state government, which has also expressed its concern with regard to the passing of the said bill by the KHADC, has taken a crucial step by constituting an expert committee to examine the different bills of the KHADC before sending to the Governor for his assent and the land bill was one that has been studied by the expert committee.
During the screening of the said bill, it was found that there were areas of conflict in the proposed legislation and hence, the same were rectified and agreed accordingly by the expert committee and returned to the KHADC for re-introduction.
