Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma has said that the Invest Meghalaya Agency (IMA) is under the State government and cannot bypass the district councils or traditional heads.
“IMA is a government agency like the Meghalaya Tourism Development Corporation, the Meghalaya Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC). It is also the body where individuals can apply for permissions to start their companies and also to get the necessary subsidies that the centre and the state is providing,” Sangma told reporters today.
It may be mentioned that the government’s to amend the Meghalaya State Investment Promotion and Facilitation Act (MSIPF), 2024 allowing IMA to buy land for investors has become the centre of intense debate with fears that the amendment would undermine the Meghalaya Land Transfer Act for the sake of private investments.
However, the chief minister rubbished claims of amendment to the Land Transfer Act and said, “This is all incorrect and absolutely incorrect information.”
He explained that the abolished Single Window Agency which was set up in 1995 was industries oriented and hence through the MSIPF the IMA was set up to enhance the ease of doing business by introducing a streamlined, unified system for handling investment applications.
“Because of the complexities, the government decided to come up with the IMA, a one stop shop and a single portal where the investor can apply and the necessary permissions. The permission required from the district council has to be taken, and there’s no change in that. It is just channelising the entire system through IMA,” Sangma stated.
He also added that like any other government agencies, which can buy land and then further lease it out for investments, IMA should be allowed to purchase land and create land banks to then further lease out to investors.
