SHILLONG, AUG 25: Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Tuesday countered the opposition Voice of the People Party (VPP) on the issue of land protection, asking the party which leads the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) to involve Dorbar Shnongs in its own land laws.
Replying to a short duration discussion moved by VPP chief Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit (Nongkrem), Sangma said his government has never bypassed procedures.
“Government has always maintained balance. There has never been a case where we have bulldozed in any way. There has never been a situation where we have gone through the backdoor for the purchase of land. Everything is done as per procedure known to all,” he said.
The Chief Minister said he agreed with Basaiawmoit’s point that community consultation is essential for any land-related decision, but said the same principle was being violated by the KHADC.
Flagging the KHADC Regulation and Registration of Land (Amendment) Bill, 2026, Sangma said the Bill seeks to delete a crucial provision for consultation with traditional bodies.
“There is a clause in Section 16 which says in Section 16 of the principal Act the words ‘after prior consultation with respective Dorbar Shnongs, Dorbar Raid, and Dorbar Hima’ appearing after the word ‘Executive Committee’ shall be deleted,” he said.
Calling the move “quite unfortunate”, Sangma said, “This goes completely against the principle that was mentioned in this discussion today. On one hand we say community should be taken into consideration, whereas in the KHADC this particular Act is amended to remove the Dorbar Shnong, remove the Raid as well as the Dorbar Hima from the entire procedure of participation.”
Questioning the fairness of such a move, the Chief Minister said traditional institutions were created by forefathers to act as checks and balances.
“Our forefathers had that sight and had that vision, that is why we have Rangbah Shnongs, we have the Raid and the Hima precisely to ensure multiple checks and balances in our traditional system which is followed for decades and centuries,” he stated.
Turning the demand back to the opposition, Sangma said, “Therefore, I would like to put this demand back to VPP. I would like to put my charter of demand to KHADC and tell them to please practice what you preach and please involve the traditional institutions, please ensure the community is not left behind.”
He said the government fully supports community participation in land matters and urged the council to uphold the same.
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