The Khasi Students’ Union (KSU), the apex students’ body in Meghalaya, has opposed to “adoption of Sohra hills by Assam Rifles for tree plantation”.
Shah also initiated the launch of the ‘Sohra Afforestation Project’, which is a joint initiative of the Assam Rifles and the Meghalaya Government.
Under this project, plantations would be completed within three years and maintenance support would be provided up to 5 years.
Amit Shah said that the ambitious project has been initiated to make Sohra green again.
Shah said that the entire area of Sohra will be adopted by the Assam Rifles for plantation.
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Reacting to this initiative, the KSU said: “The Khasi Students’ Union, Sohra Circle firmly stand to protect the land of the indigenous people and won’t let any outsider violate and intrude the land of the indigenous.”
“The Union urged the local headmen, dorbar shnong and the local representatives not to allow any army regiments or outsiders to intrude into the region,” the KSU said in a statement.
“From our side, we clearly understood that this decision made by the union minister to hand over the Sohra hills to the Assam Rifles for re-greening it, was a pharisaical and double standard statement and this is the only plan to make way for the Assam Rifles get access of the Sohra region,” the statement further read.