Shillong, Nov 28: The Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) has demanded for immediate eviction of alleged illegal settlers from Maxwelton Estate and Mahadev Khola in the city.
“We urge the minister to speed up the process of evicting these illegal settlers and protect the interests of the local indigenous people,” KSU Laban Circle stated in a letter to Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Lahkmen Rymbui on Thursday.
The KSU said 9 acres of land at Maxwelton Estate, which falls under the jurisdiction of Dorbar Shnong Kenches Trace Oxford Rilbong (K.O.R), is a revenue land and belongs to the state government.
There are huge number of illegal settlers in the area without the consent or approval of the Dorbar Shnong or any appropriate authority for that matter, the letter stated.
The KSU unit also highlighted concerns over health, sanitation and environmental degradation due to the alleged illegal settlement.
Slamming the government inaction, the KSU has also vowed to continue building houses for the indigenous in the Maxwelton Estate.
“The government seems to accept the move made by the Union as 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, then the Union will continue to build permanent structures in Maxwelton Estate for the local indigenous people,” it stated.
Regarding Mahadev Khola, the KSU alleged that illegitimate settlers have been building permanent structures and disposing of wastes into a nearby stream, polluting it.
The KSU had previously demolished some structures, but the district administration had called for dialogue instead of taking action, it said.
