CM on defense land

SHILLONG, MARCH 19: Chief minister Mukul Sangma on Tuesday indicated that his government was committed to secure the “excess land” in possession of the defense establishments in the state and use them for development purpose.

In this context, the chief minister said the all-party committee formed by the previous government will be reconstituted in view of the fact that Manas Chaudhuri, a minister-member of the panel, is not part of the new government following his loss in the recent elections. The space left vacant by Chaudhuri, he said, will have to be filled by a new member.

The committee headed by the chief minister included three ministers, representatives from political parties, local military authorities and senior government officials. The chief minister said the committee had held two sittings last year.

He was replying to UDP legislator Paul Lyngdoh who wanted to know whether the government was committed to sending an all-party committee to the Centre to negotiate the matter concerning the re-transfer of unused and excess lands under the defense establishments in the state. Replying in the affirmative, the chief minister, however, said the committee will first have to be reconstituted.

When revenue minister R. C. Laloo informed the House that as per the data available with the government, the area with the defense establishment in and around Shillong city is 2096.12 acres, Lyngdoh demanded that all the ‘excess land’ under the defense establishments should be retransferred to the local civil authorities for developmental purposes.

Laloo also said 32 acres of land in Ri Bhoi district that was in the possession of the defense establishments was transferred to the civil authorities for the expansion of the Shillong Airport and another 0.339 acres in the same district for the widening of National Highway 44 in exchange for an equivalent area elsewhere. (By Our Reporter)

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