KHADC to request Govt to allot land for shifting its building to NST 

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJune 23, 2023

The Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) on Friday decided to request the state government for allotmet of land for shifting the Council’s building to the New Shillong Township. 

The decision was taken by the newly formed NPP-led Khasi Hills Democratic Front (KHDF) executive committee during its first meeting chaired by the chief executive member (CEM) Pyniaid Sing Syiem. 

Addressing the media, Syiem said, “The new EC has reviewed the proposed budget for 2023-2024 and decided to include a proposal for requesting the state government to allot land for shifting the council’s building to the New Shillong Township (NST). The reason for this being the Council is facing space constraint since all the three bodies – executive, legislative and judiciary – are functioning from the existing premises.”

He said majority of the important departments of the state government are also being shifted to the NST to decongest Shillong city. “We also feel the need to do the same for convenient of all concerned,” Syiem added. 

When asked, the CEM informed that a committee to be headed by the EM in-charge Council Assets & Building, will be set up to meet with the state government for its intervention on the proposal.

The proposal was first mooted in 2019. However due to the imposition of Governor’s Rule that time, the proposal was not taken up anymore by the Council, he said. 

Syiem said that the EC is yet to decide on how to utilize the existing building once shifted to the NST. 

“However, since it is located in a commercial area, may be we can think of generating some revenue from this building but we are yet to decide on this aspect,” he added. 

Further, Syiem said that the executive committee has also decided to implement the Trading by Non-Tribal Regulation Act in letter and spirit. 

“We will continue to conduct checking against illegal trade by non-tribal and will take action to the extent of closing down business establishments without obtaining trading licenses from the council,” he said while adding that the EC will be very strict against such illegal trading within the council’s jurisdiction.

Meanwhile, the EC has approved the KHAD Services (Amendment) Rules, 2023 which seeks to relax the upper age limit of candidates for applying jobs in the Council upto 37 years for introduction during the current summer session of the House. 

Syiem said that the EC has also approved the KHAD (Protection and Promotion Traditional Medicines) (First Amendment), 2023. This is related to certificate issued to the medical practitioners of the region.