TURA, Sept 7: A project to give away precious GHADC land to settlers in the Garo Hills-Assam border located in the B-Mahal area by the previous CEM Benedic R Marak has been ended by the new NPP led Executive committee headed by Albinus Marak.

The proposal by Benedic Marak, who was removed by his own NPP MMDCs and alliance partners in February, was to give each family that had encroached and settled on district council land in the BB-Mahal region two bighas of land.

The present deputy CEM of GHADC, Nikman Ch Marak, has clarified that large scale illegal settlers from Assam had already taken over portions of land under the B-Mahal area and going ahead with the previous decision to allocate 2 bighas to every family would be nothing short of endorsement of illegal settlers.

“Instead of giving 2 bighas of land for each family we have decided that those already settled in the council land can remain but no additional land will be given to anyone. During our previous survey we have found that a large number of settlers are from Assam and this has been taking place since 2005,” said Nikman Marak.

Instead of giving away the council land to settlers, the GHADC has decided to allow only the state government projects in the BB-Mahal lands.

“Their projects will not only provide employment to the local population but also ensure security and protection of the land from illegal settlers,” says the Deputy CEM of GHADC.

The government projects lined up across the B-Mahal region includes setting up of a high tech industrial park by the Meghalaya Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC), establishing of tourist resorts to boost tourism in the region through the Meghalaya Tourism Development Corporation, a massive Solar energy park that will generate power and supply electricity to the region, and lastly ensuring security for the people by the setting up of a state police battalion in the area. Raksamgre constituency where the sitting MDC and MLA happens to be none other than the former GHADC CEM Benedic Marak.