Shillong, Feb 11: The Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) have released a 15-point party manifesto for the elections to Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) slated for February 21.
All 11 candidates of the party took pledge during the programme held in front of the statues of U Kiang Nangbah, U Tirot Sing Syiem and Patogan Sangma, the three freedom fighters of Khasi-Jaintia Hills, at State Central Library here on Monday.
According to the manifesto, the party will ensure clean governance and take steps to further strengthen the Sixth Schedule, demand immediate deletion of Para 12 (A) from Sixth Schedule, and protect autonomous powers of district council, and immediate amendment to Scheduled Tribe Order 1950.
It also assured codification of customary laws and practices of all Himas and Elakas and to improve financial position of the KHADC, and doing away with illegal collections through Himas and Council.
The party further promised to effectively implement the Trading by Non-Tribal Regulation, 1954 to protect the trade and commerce of the tribal people by bringing necessary amendments to ensure no license is given on trades carried out by Khasi people.
It also emphasized the need to streamline functioning of Himas/Elakas as per law, which does not allow non-Khasi to be headman, but it is happening in villages.
“It is high time a transparent job recruitment policy is put in place in the KHADC,” the party said while assuring that it will not shy away from any responsibility in the interest and welfare of the indigenous community.
Speaking to reporters, KHNAM working president Thomas Passah, who will be contesting from Jaiaw constituency, said the party would also ensure that the power to issue Scheduled Tribe certificates will come back to the KHADC from the state government.
“There has been misuse of ST certificates issued by the state government,” he said.
According to Passah, the state government in 1982 “snatched away” the right of land registration from the district council to the deputy commissioner.
“We will ensure land should be registered with the KHADC to ensure there is no boundary dispute, because we have seen in case of Block I & II, the land dispute is not actually with Assam but it is with Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC),” he said.
He, meanwhile, alleged that many people choose to register land with the DC instead of district council due to corruption in the process of obtaining NOC from the traditional chiefs.
