The Meghalaya Assembly, on the final day of the budget session today, passed the Meghalaya State Investment Promotion and Facilitation (Amendment) Bill 2025, but not before dropping the controversial section that spoke of building up a land bank that opponents had categorised as the first step in alienating the indigenous tribals from their native land.
Moving the amendment motion on behalf of the government, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said that the government was deleting the words “creation of land banks through direct purchase of land or other means”, which appears in the last three lines under Sub Section 3 Clause 1 of Section 4 of the amendment bill.
The MSIPF, passed last year, had been under a cloud because pressure groups and opposition politicians had feared that it would bypass the Land Transfer Act, the jurisdiction of the autonomous district councils and not benefit local job seeking youth.
The amendment is meant to alleviate these specific concerns and today the government also caved into pressure against the creation of land banks, where the government would buy up tribal land for the purpose of leasing it out to private companies for development activities. This, it was feared, would all but bypass the Land Transfer Act, which strictly limits the ability of non-tribals and private companies from buying property in all but a tiny portion of the state.
Sangma said that the amendment makes it clear that the MSIPF Act will not be in derogation of the Meghalaya Transfer of Land Regulation Act 1971.
According to him, specific sections are being added in the existing act to ensure that all procedures and rules that are applicable in respect of the autonomous district councils will also be followed.
He also said that thirdly, mention is being made within the act in regards to the employment generation for the people of the state. Sangma had previously promised that 90 percent of non-managerial and 50 percent of managerial jobs created by firms under the MSIPF Act would be given to locals.
“These three specific amendments are being brought in to give comfort to the citizens of our state that all necessary rules and regulation as per the Land Transfer Act and rules of the district councils are followed,” the CM added.
Earlier, initiating the discussion on the amendment, Sangma said that multiple opportunities have been identified to achieve his government’s aim of making Meghalaya a $10 billion economy. Investment by private firms is necessary for this, he added.
Meanwhile, Nongkrem MLA Ardent M Basaiawmoit of the opposition Voice of the People Party (VPP) had moved his own amendment to the amendment bill.
Initiating a discussion, he questioned in whose custody the land bank would be kept. According to him, the issue of land is an extremely sensitive one, as tribal people not only draw their livelihoods from land but also have deep cultural and historical connections to it.
He claimed that locals are not benefiting from industries set up on estates in Byrnihat, Umiam and many areas in Jaintia Hills and West Khasi Hills. “Byrnihat is becoming one of the most polluted [places] and there are other areas in Jaintia Hills, like Lumshnong, which are another Byrnihat in the making,” Basaiawmoit said.
Stating that he is not against the government furthering the growth of the state but it wants to ensure no matter what the land should stay with the people.
The VPP legislator also said that, even as the subject has been debated in the Assembly during the last few days, the Meghalaya Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) invited expressions of interest for landowners willing to sell it land in Ri-Bhoi, amounting to 300 acres for another industrial estate..
“Acquisition of land is taking place. How is it possible and where is the need for MIDC to acquire this much land? What is the purpose?” he asked.
Basaiawmoit also criticised Section 39 of the MSIPF Act, which provides protection against legal measures for actions taken in good faith under the Act or any rules made thereunder by the Chairman, members of the Governing Council, High-Powered Committee, State Investment Committee, District Investment Committee, Nodal Agency, or their employees. Basaiawmoit questioned how one can presume that whatever is done is in good faith.
The VPP leader later withdrew his amendment as he expressed satisfaction that the government had taken cognisance of the issues raised by the opposition and removed the lines pertaining to the creation of land banks.
