SHILLONG, Oct 14: The Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) on Wednesday disallowed a discussion on the reported return of its land amendment bill by the Governor, with Chairman Strong Pillar Kharjana insisting that the House could not deliberate on the matter without official communication, despite Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong publicly confirming that the bill had been returned with observations.
The issue was raised on the opening day of the KHADC Winter Session when Mairang-Nongkhlaw MDC Equator Nongrang sought to move a Before Hour Discussion on the Khasi Hills Autonomous District (Regulation and Administration of Land) (Amendment) Bill, 2026, passed during the Council’s previous Summer Session.
Kharjana said the Council had not received any formal communication confirming the bill’s return and maintained that media reports could not substitute for official correspondence.
However, Laban MDC Ricky Shullai questioned the ruling, pointing out that Tynsong, who also holds the District Council Affairs (DCA) portfolio, had publicly confirmed the bill’s return.
“It is really unfortunate that the Chairman has passed a ruling not to allow the matter to be discussed,” Shullai said, urging him to allow members to deliberate on the issue.
Chief Executive Member Winston Tony Lyngdoh also said the Council had not received anything in writing regarding the return of the bill. The Chairman subsequently stood by his ruling, and the House proceeded with other business.
Speaking to reporters after the session, Leader of the Opposition Titosstarwell Chyne criticised the decision, saying members had sought clarity on an important public issue through the provisions of the Council’s Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business.
Chyne said the proposed discussion was prompted by a report in The Shillong Times stating that the Governor had returned the bill with observations. He also cited Tynsong’s public confirmation of the development.
According to Chyne, the matter should have been clarified on the floor of the House, particularly as members understood that the communication process had been underway since October 8.
“We want to know what observations the Governor has made while returning the bill. We also want to know whether these are the same concerns that were raised in the House during the previous session when the bill was passed,” he said.
Chyne said the Opposition had sought to raise the matter under Section 60(C) of the Council’s Rules and Conduct of Business, which, he maintained, allows members to bring up important public issues with supporting evidence.
He also questioned whether the Governor’s observations concerned issues raised by traditional heads, including the Syiem, Lyngdoh and Rangbah Shnong,who had strongly opposed the amendment. He recalled that representatives of traditional institutions had reportedly met the Governor and Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma to convey their objections.
The Opposition leader reiterated that his party had opposed the bill from the time it was introduced, arguing that the proposed amendment was ineffective and failed to address its concerns.
“We need clarification inside the House. We cannot ask these questions on the streets. We are disappointed that this has happened,” Chyne said.
Earlier, Tynsong had confirmed that the government had returned the controversial bill with observations from the Governor.
“From the government side, from the Governor, we have already returned it with observations,” Tynsong told reporters, advising those seeking details about the observations and the next course of action to approach the KHADC.
The bill seeks to delete Section 16 of the principal Act, which requires the KHADC Executive Committee to consult traditional institutions, including the Dorbar Shnong, Dorbar Raid and Dorbar Hima, before implementing land ceiling measures and dealing with the settlement and allotment of Raid land.
The proposed deletion triggered strong opposition from traditional institutions, which argued that removing the mandatory consultation provision would weaken their role in decisions concerning land. The amendment also drew criticism from the ruling National People’s Party (NPP), despite the VPP-led Executive Committee pushing it through the Council.
With the Chairman disallowing the discussion in the absence of official communication, members are still awaiting clarity on the Governor’s observations and the bill’s status. The issue is expected to resurface during Thursday’s proceedings.