KHADC approves denotifying and redefining boundaries of town committees

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaOctober 27, 2020

The Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) on Tuesday approved the denotifying and redefining of boundaries of town committees.

Tabling a report of the executive committee (EC) during the Council’s autumn session, Executive Member in-charge Town Committee, Paul Lyngdoh said the EC has proposed exclude eight villages – Shangbangla, Umskun, Pahamrioh Lum, Pahamrioh Them, Lumbyrhing, Umryngksai, Umshangling and Umlyngkdait from the jurisdiction of Nongpoh Town Committee.

He said 22 villages are also proposed to be excluded from the jurisdiction of the Nongstoin town committee.

These include – Pyndengrei, Mawkhlam-Nongpyndeng, Nongstoin, Mawkawah, Siejlieh-Mawiaban, Mawrusyiar, Mawiong-Lumsyntiew, Khlieh Mawlieh, Lawse, Nongkaniang, Nongjyllieh, Nongritong, Mawkynjoin, Sohparu, Mawrok-Porsohsat, Tynrongwahladew, Pyndenglawar, Phodjaud, Nongsohlait, Pyndendiloin, Tihsaw and Mawshap.

Lyngdoh informed the EC also proposed to denotify two adhoc town committees, Mawkyrwat and Mairang and three non functional town committees – Sohiong, Umsning and Mawlai.

The seven town committees including one temporary (Mairang) have been constituted udner the Town Committee Act, 1960. However, most of them are adhoc in nature since no election to members of the town committee has been conducted.

The decision was taken after the office of the Registrar General of India had issued a notification on September 4, 2018 for defining an urban unit in view that the Census 2021 will be carried out by the government of India next year.

Further, that the freezing date to change the status of such towns/areas has been fixed for December 31, this year.

Based on the notification, all town committees that have been established will fall under the urban unit.

“Upon scrutiny, it appears that the areas of the town committee constituted so far have been extended even to the rural parts adjoining to these towns and do not necessarily satisfy the above criteria to be clubbed under the category of urban unit,” Lyngdoh said.

He also informed that the Council has also received numerous petitions from those villages falling under the town committess and local representatives requesting the office to either de-notify or redefine their boundaries.

There is a major fear that they will be deprived of rural schemes while simultaneously urban schemes are not suitable for these areas, he added.

To a query raised by member from Mawkhar-Pynthorumkhrah, PN Syiem, the EM said once the house approved the report, it will be the duty of the EC to follow up the matter with the state government.