Shillong, Aug 13: The Meghalaya Land and Forest Owners’ Association (MLFOA) has urged the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) to request the state government to pass an official resolution to exempt the state from central laws.

In a memorandum to the KHADC CEM Teinwell Dkhar on Tuesday, adviser of the association John F Kharshiing said, “…we request that the committee (constituted by the KHADC) to recommend for an All party state committee on Central legislation at the state level to seek constitutional remedies to resolve the exemptions from the Central legislation in conflict with various customary and social land laws prevailing in Meghalaya through an official resolutions for time bound exemptions of central laws under Para 12 A (b) of the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution of India vis-à-vis Para 2 (2) of Annexed Agreement of Instrument of Accession 17 August 1948.”

Lauding the KHADC for constituting the committee to study the proposed draft amendment of the Indian Forest Act, 1927, he said while appreciating the objectives of the proposed draft, after in-depth deliberations find that this proposed draft like many previous central legislation has been framed based on the land tenure system prevailing in other parts of the country unlike in Meghalaya.

“Hence, we would like to draw the attention of the KHADC to jointly initiate with the state government necessary steps to resolve the many conflicts prevailing on the ground due to the lack of clarity within the Sixth Schedule vis-à-vis the customary land laws including provisions of the IOA &AA which was accepted and signed by the Centre on August 17, 1948,” he said.