The Khun Hynñiewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) will press for land registration in Khasi-Jaintia Hills to be brought under the oversight of the autonomous district councils.
KHNAM working president Thomas Passah said today that Paragraph 3 of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution states that land is under the jurisdiction of the councils. However, in 1982, the Meghalaya government issued a notification that mandated that land registration be carried out at the relevant Deputy Commissioner’s office.
Passah argued that this decision by the state government undermines the authority granted to the district councils. He said that KHNAM will advocate for land registration to be conducted through the district council and for a resolution of boundary disputes.
He noted that the boundary disputes in the border areas are not with the Assam government per se but with the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council and, by registering land with the council, this problem could be addressed.
Passah further highlighted that the land act of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) is not binding as individuals have the option to register their land either with the DC or with the council, incurring fees in both cases.
Stating that the district council’s process is also complicated, he said, “Those wishing to register with the council must first obtain a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the Dorbar Shnong and confirmation from the respective Hima. These steps and procedures create opportunities for corruption and place an unnecessary burden on the people.”
He called for the 1982 notification from the state government to be abolished, asserting that it should be mandatory for people to register their land with the council and that the council’s land act should be simplified.
