Gauhati HC questions 3,000-bigha land transfer to Cement firm in Sixth Schedule district

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaAugust 19, 2025

The Gauhati High Court has raised serious concerns over the transfer of 3,000 bighas of land in Dima Hasao district to Mahabal Cement Private Limited, directing the state government to clarify the policy under which such a large tract of land was allotted in a constitutionally protected Sixth Schedule area.

The North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council (NCHAC) had handed over the land on the Umrangso–Lanka Road to the Kolkata-based company in October 2024 for the installation of a cement plant. An additional 1,000 bighas were allotted the following month. The transfer, carried out after a cabinet decision of the Assam government, has sparked widespread protests and multiple legal challenges.

During a hearing on August 12, Justice Sanjay Kumar Medhi sharply questioned the allotment. “3,000 bighas!… What is going on? 3,000 bighas allotted to a private company?… What kind of decision is this? Is this some joke or what?” the judge remarked when the company’s counsel confirmed the size of the land allocation.

The court directed the NCHAC to submit records of the policy that justified handing over such a vast expanse of land to a private entity in Dima Hasao, a tribal-majority district governed by special constitutional protections. The bench also highlighted the ecological sensitivity of Umrangso, noting its hot springs, migratory bird habitats, and diverse wildlife.

The allotment has already led to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) and a separate writ petition being filed by residents, some of whom allege that they have been evicted from their ancestral land to make way for the project. The case is scheduled for its next hearing on September 1.

Mahabal Cement had earlier signed a memorandum of understanding worth ₹11,000 crore with the Assam government during the “Advantage Assam 2.0” investment summit in February 2024, promising to establish a cement plant in Dima Hasao. The NCHAC is reportedly also considering land allotments to other major cement players, including Dalmia, Ambuja, Adani, and Star Cement, totalling nearly 9,000 bighas in the district.

Opponents argue that these moves undermine the constitutional mandate of the Sixth Schedule, which prioritises the rights and interests of tribal communities in autonomous districts.

Indigenous Peoples Party (IPP) president Rajen Timung questioned how the NCHAC could hand over land to a cement company while the matter remains sub judice before both the Gauhati High Court and the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST).

The NCST is slated to take up the case on August 29.