The Gauhati High Court has raised serious concerns over the allotment of nearly 3,000 bighas of land to a private cement company in Dima Hasao district, directing the North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council (NCHAC) to submit the complete original records related to the decision.

Justice Sanjay Kumar Medhi, while hearing two petitions—one filed by local residents led by Sonesh Hojai and another by the company—observed that the council had only provided selective photocopies of documents. The court emphasized the need for the entire record, from policy formulation to final approval, to properly assess the allotment process.

The judge clarified that the court’s concern was with authenticity and due process, not the review of isolated documents.

State Advocate General D. Saikia informed the bench that a three-member committee had already examined the allotment and submitted a report, and that the state would also file an affidavit. Justice Medhi allowed the affidavit to be placed on record for scrutiny, while noting that no formal inquiry had yet been ordered.

During an earlier hearing on August 12, the court had expressed alarm over the scale of the allotment, noting that 3,000 bighas was “almost an entire district.” The bench questioned how such a large tract of land could be allotted to a private entity, stressing that public interest should take precedence over corporate benefit.

The High Court also sought clarification on whether the cement company had obtained the mandatory environmental clearance from the central government before beginning operations in the biodiversity-rich, Sixth Schedule–protected hill district.