By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Oct 16: Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) Chairman Strong Pillar Kharjana on Wednesday disallowed a discussion on the reported return of the Council’s land amendment bill by the Governor, ruling that the House could not deliberate on the matter without official communication.
The ruling came despite Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong publicly confirming that the bill had been returned with observations.
The issue surfaced 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, which was passed during the previous Summer Session.
Kharjana maintained that the Council had not received formal notification regarding the bill’s return, adding that media reports could not substitute for official correspondence.
Laban MDC Ricky Shullai questioned the decision, pointing out that Tynsong, who also holds the District Council Affairs portfolio, had already confirmed the development.
“It is really unfortunate that the Chairman has passed a ruling not to allow the matter to be discussed,” Shullai said, urging the Chair to permit a debate.
Chief Executive Member Winston Tony Lyngdoh backed the Chairman, stating that the Council had received nothing in writing. Kharjana 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 ruling, arguing that members were entitled to seek clarity on urgent public issues under Section 60(C) of the Council’s Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business.
Chyne said the notice was prompted by a report in The Shillong Times and corroborated by Tynsong’s public remarks. He added that the official communication had reportedly been dispatched on 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,” Chyne said.
He questioned whether the Governor’s observations reflected the objections of traditional heads—including the Syiem, Lyngdoh, and Rangbah Shnong—who had met the Governor and Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma to oppose the amendment.
Chyne reiterated that the Opposition had opposed the bill from the outset, calling the amendment flawed.
“We need clarification inside the House. We cannot ask these questions on the streets. We are disappointed that this has happened,” he said.
Earlier, Tynsong told reporters that the government had returned the controversial bill with observations from the Governor, adding that anyone seeking further details should approach the KHADC.
The bill seeks to remove Section 16 of the principal Act, which mandates that the KHADC Executive Committee consult traditional bodies—such as the Dorbar Shnong, Dorbar Raid, and Dorbar Hima—before implementing land ceilings or allotting Raid land.
The proposed deletion drew strong pushback from traditional heads, who argued that removing mandatory consultations would undermine their authority over communal land. The amendment also faced criticism from the National People’s Party, though the Voice of the People Party-led Executive Committee managed to pass it through the Council.