Meghalaya | No MUDA building bye-laws in Schedule areas: Conrad

By Our Reporter, TNT News | Shillong, May 15, 2018: 

The Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council  (KHADC)  on Tuesday breathed a sigh of relief after the State Government in principle has agreed that the scheduled areas falling under the KHADC will not be affected by the MUDA building bye-laws.

This was informed by Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma after the meeting with the KHADC and the traditional heads at the main conference room of the Main Secretariat here today.

Chief Minister also said that the Law department has been tasked with the job to study the provisions under the Meghalaya Building Bye Laws & Town Planning, 1973.

Sangma said that it is important to have clarity whether the amendment of the Act to include the scheduled areas under the purview of the MUDA building bye laws, was done as per provisions of law.

The Chief Minister said that the Meghalaya Town and Country Planning Act, 1973 in principle had mentioned that the act will not be applicable in areas outside the municipal.

ALSO READ: Meghalaya Building Bye-laws: An unending saga of conflicts and confusions

He further said that the Law department will have to complete the exercise in a time bound manner.

Commenting on the last meeting convened by the previous Government with the traditional heads and the district councils where it was decided to constitute the local authorities to implement the building bye-laws, the chief minister said that the present Government is not thinking in such lines.

The Chief Minister said that the KHADC would require framing the Town Planning and Building Laws and then constitute the town committees to regulate the building construction within the respective localities or villages.

Taking this objective forward, he said that the Urban Affairs department will write to the MeECL and PHE department to relax the norms in terms of the permission required by the people for water and electricity connection after construction of the their houses.

"We would not like the people to suffer," Chief Minister said.

Meanwhile, on the KHAD (Village Administration) Bill, 2015, Chief Minister said that the KHADC is working to improve the Village Administration Bill (VAB) adding that they will come back to the State Government after they have completed the exercise.

KHADC CEM, Pynshngain N Syiem said that the meeting with the Government was a fruitful one. He also said that the Government has agreed to amend Meghalaya Town and Country Planning Act.

The KHADC CEM further stated that the Council have constituted a committee to study the VAB and make the necessary recommendations after consulting with the stakeholders.

__________________________________