The East Khasi Hills district administration was forced into calling the Khasi Students Union (KSU) for a discussion today after the pressure group took matters into its own hands over the Maxwelton Estate and constructed a “house” there while threatening to build more on government land if the settlers on this particular property are not removed.
The KSU’s Laban circle has dubbed the residents there illegal settlers and claimed that their livestock rearing activities pollute neighbouring streams and rivers.
The Deputy Commissioner told representatives of the KSU that legal cases are still pending, which means that the settlers cannot be forcibly removed as yet.
The KSU wondered that if non-tribals without any no-objection certificate (NOC) can settle at Maxwelton Estate, which is government land, then why can Khasi people from weak economic backgrounds not do so as well.
“We are also not satisfied with the clarification given by the DC who told us that there are still pending cases on the matter because the longer this matter is delayed, illegal settlers are also increasing day by day,” a KSU member told reporters, adding that the government has no idea about the numbers of people living there and the residents are being allotted voter ID cards.
