Shillong: The Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) has decided to approach the Court against the Memorandum of Understanding signed between Assam and Meghalaya government after various Khasi Chiefdoms and tribal landowners are against the boundary pact.
Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma signed an MoU with his Assam counterpart Himanta Biswa Sarma resolving a 50-year-old border dispute in six of the 12 sectors along their 885-km state boundary.
“We have unanimously decided to move to the court against the MoU signed between Meghalaya and Assam as it seeks to transfer lands falling under the jurisdiction of the five Himas to Assam.”
KHADC Executive Member, Jambor War told reporters after a meeting with the traditional Khasi chiefs and landowners from five Himas ( chiefdoms) affected by the boundary pact.
However, the Council is still consulting with its legal eagles on whether to approach the Meghalaya High Court or the Supreme Court.
The Khasi traditional bodies function under the sixth schedule of the Constitution and are vested with power through the district councils to control their own land unlike in other parts of the country, where land wholly belongs to the government.
The KHADC decided to move the Court after Chief Minister Sangma and his deputy has ruled out reviewing the boundary pact. Meanwhile, the border residents have decided to mount pressure on the Conrad Sangma-led government to review the boundary pact.
“We will not go to Assam. We will not accept this agreement at any cost since the Chief Minister Conrad Sangma and Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong gave away our private land to Assam without consulting us,” Jewash Sangma, one of the affected landowners said.
