Social groups urge government to keep NPR in abeyance

A CORRESPONDENT

SHILLONG, March 2: The Social Organisations of Meghalaya Against Land Alietion (SOMALA) has urged the Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma to keep the tiol Population Register (NPR) in abeyance in the Sixth Schedule Area until the fate of illegal influx is sorted out.

The SOMALA also reminded Dr Sangma that it along with other social organisations of the state has written to the Union Minister of State for Home, Kiren Rijiju on the issue.

In the letter to Rijiju, the SOMALA along with the KSU, FKJGP among other organisations urged the Home Ministry to keep the NPR in abeyance.

According to the organisations, the problem of influx in the scheduled area should be sorted out before implementing the NPR so that illegal influx have no scope for registration in Meghalaya.

In the letter to the Union Minister of Home, the social organisations stated that the central government has many development programmes but it is not known if adequate safeguard to protect the interest of the tribals within the schedule is provided.

“In framing a tiol Policy, industrial or development for the tribals of Meghalaya they may be given adequate protection against alietio of land and illegal influx. The provisions of paragraph 12 A (b) of the Sixth Schedule may be attracted to protect the tribals of Meghalaya sufficiently,” the organisations said. The organisations also said that the powers that be have time and again violated the Sixth Schedule.

“As a case in point the state government has not undertaken enforcement of the Meghalaya Transfer of Land Regulation Act, 1971 which safeguard and guarantee the land right of the tribals of Meghalaya which is a glaring abdication of duty by the state government towards the tribals of the state,” the organisation said.

The social organisations also said that the government did not hesitate to amend the same Act by insertion of Sec 4 (1) (e) and (f) for the benefit of the vested interest manifested in the rise in cement companies in Jaintia Hills.   

In the letter to Rijiju, the organisations also said that the disproportiote growth of influx in the Scheduled area caused by the policy of the state and central government have changed the demographic feature of the state.

“Such a change is expected not to be recorded in the NPR as it will nullify and vary the provisions of the Sixth Schedule which is created especially for the benefit of the tribals living in the united Khasi and Janitia Hills and Garo Hills and non other,” the letter stated.