SHILLONG, Nov 27: The Laban Circle of the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) has urged the state government to take immediate action to evict alleged illegal settlers from Maxwelton Estate and Mahadev Khola, expressing concern over what it termed as prolonged inaction by authorities.
In a memorandum submitted to Revenue & Disaster Management Minister Lahkmen Rymbui on Thursday, the KSU demanded that the government “speed up the process of evicting these illegal settlers and protect the interests of the local indigenous people.”
According to the Union, the 9-acre land at Maxwelton Estate, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Dorbar Shnong Kenches Trace Oxford Rilbong (K.O.R), is revenue land belonging to the government of Meghalaya. The KSU alleged that a large number of settlers are occupying the land without consent from the dorbar shnong or approval from competent authorities, leading to concerns related to sanitation, health, and environmental degradation.
The Union criticized the government for its alleged lack of initiative despite repeated demands.
“It has been more than a year but there has been no development in this regard. If the government fails to address this long-pending issue, the Union will continue to build permanent structures in Maxwelton Estate for the local indigenous people,” the memorandum stated.
On the situation at Mahadev Khola, the KSU alleged that unauthorized settlers have constructed permanent structures and are disposing waste into a nearby stream, leading to pollution of the water source. The Union said it had earlier demolished some of the illegal structures, but the district administration intervened and called for dialogue rather than taking stern action.
“The Union has lodged several complaints with the authorities but all fell on deaf ears. Illegal construction continued, prompting the Union to act, after which law enforcement intervened and dialogue was initiated,” the KSU stated.
The Union further claimed that the district administration has already submitted its report to the minister and appealed for swift follow-up action to remove the encroachers from Mahadev Khola.
