Staff Reporter

Shillong, Sept 21: The resolution moved by the opposition Voice of the People Party (VPP) legislator from Nongkrem Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit demanding a stop to the gross violation of the Meghalaya Transfer of Land Regulation Act, 1972 was defeated by a voice vote in the Assembly today.

“The Nos have it and the resolution is lost,” Assembly Speaker Thomas A. Sangma said.

The resolution was put to vote after Basaiawmoit announced his decision not to withdraw the resolution citing dissatisfaction with the government’s reply.

Basaiawmoit said there is a violation of the Act, but the government is in a denial mode that people not covered under the Land Transfer Act are rampantly buying land in Ri Bhoi district.

“How can they purchase land when they are not residents of Meghalaya? What will the government do against such people and stop them from purchasing land in Ri Bhoi district?” he asked.

He also asked the government to issue a public notice on the definition of tribal.

In his supplementary reply, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said there has been no violation of the Land Transfer Act. “All cases (related to) non-tribal have been based on provisions of the Act,” he maintained.

Sangma further said that any individual can go to the Court if they have concerns that there is a violation of the Act.

“(Because) we have not seen any cases put forward and those cases where the court had given orders, the government has implemented those orders,” he added.

The chief minister also assured that the government will definitely examine the suggestions made by the members on how to strengthen the Land Transfer Act further.

Earlier while moving his resolution, Basaiawmoit had sought to know ‘what action has been taken against those people who are involved in the selling away of our land to the people who are not covered by the Land Transfer Act, especially the Syiem of Raid Myrwet who have voluntarily engaged in this illegal act. Moreover, what action will be taken against those Deputy Commissioner who are willingly registering these lands which are in direct contravention to the provision of the law’.

Earlier, Minister in-charge Revenue & Disaster Management Kyrmen Shylla in his reply said that it is clear that the government while processing any case of transfer, mutation, mortgage, will etc, proceeds as per the provisions laid down in the Meghalaya Transfer of Land Regulation Act 1971 (Act 1 of 1972) and the Meghalaya Transfer of Land Regulation Rules, 1974.

“As of now, no such matter of the gross violation of the Act has come to the notice of the Government,” he said while adding “I would like to impress that the intention of the government is very clear on the matter of transfer of land and that the Act and Rules are followed in letter and spirit, so as to protect the interest of the Scheduled Tribe of the State.”

Staff Reporter

Shillong, April 25: Senior Advocate V. G Kynta has resigned as a member of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Meghalaya.

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Speaking to media persons, Kynta informed that since joining BJP he had never been assigned to any duties or till date the party had never involved him in any decision pertaining to the party matter.

Kynta informed that he had sent a letter to the state BJP chief Ernest Mawrie that he had joined the party with the hope and aspiration to do something for the people of the state however the state president has not received any response.

“Throughout the Assembly election, the BJP Meghalaya has not assigned me any duties and this is a clear humiliation to me personally as I had joined the party with the hope to do something for the people, party and the state as a whole,” said Kynta.

Kynta alleged that this rejection by the party is a big humiliation for him and he does not want to be used as a mantelpiece as he is a person who loves to stoke a fire.

“Since the party had never accepted me, I feel it is the right decision for me to disassociate from BJP Meghalaya” he added.

Staff Reporter

Shillong, March 9: United Democratic Party (UDP) Chief and former Assembly Speaker Metbah Lyngdoh is all set to head the state’s planning board as its new chairman.

Informing this today, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said, “A notification (in this regard) will be coming up today.”

Sangma also acknowledged receiving the official communication on the decision taken by the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Hills State People’s Democratic Party about sharing of the cabinet berths among their respective MLAs.

“Yes, the BJP has written to me and the HSPDP also when they first met me that was the condition and the discussion that took place,” he said.

As far as the UDP is concerned, Sangma however said, “That of course is an internal matter (of the UDP). They have not mentioned to me anything about that (sharing of cabinet berths) but when it came to the HSPDP and the BJP, these discussions took place in front of me.”

The UDP has got two ministerial berths while one each for BJP and HSPDP.

The Chief Minister said, “When the time comes, we will discuss this matter. Yes, the representation of the NPP in the cabinet may be not as much as one would want it to be as you said because the numbers are large but as I said we have certain circumstances under which we have to work and will have to sometimes make adjustments and that is what we have done but we will definitely explore the options that also in the future”.