Shillong, Jun 3: The Garo Hills Youth Solidarity (GHYS) has expressed concern over a reported land acquisition by the Forest Department in Dagal Bolmedang Village, located in the East Garo Hills District.
The transaction, reportedly valued at around Rs 1 crore, has raised an alarm among local villagers and landholders, as it involves agricultural lands vital to their livelihoods.
According to the GHYS, the land involved in the purchase consists of betelnut gardens and various agricultural plots owned and cultivated by numerous villagers. These lands have been the primary source of income for local families, who depend on them for their survival.
The organisation has expressed strong disapproval of the transaction, alleging that it was completed without following proper legal procedures and without securing the consent of the actual landowners.
In a letter to Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma, the GHYS emphasised the necessity for due process, fair compensation, and community consent when handling land transactions. They pointed out that no public consultation or social impact assessment (SIA) was conducted to evaluate the implications for the affected families.
Citing a Right to Information (RTI) response, they also highlighted the absence of compensation plans for the impacted landowners.
The GHYS has urged immediate action to suspend the reported transaction and called for an independent inquiry into its legality. They stressed the importance of upholding the rights of indigenous communities and ensuring that customary landholder rights are respected. Protecting these rights is not only a legal obligation but also a moral duty towards the villagers who stand to lose their livelihoods, the organisation said.
