By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The Social Organisations of Meghalaya against Land Alienation (SOMALA) has expressed concern over the statement issued by Deputy Chief Minister Bindo M Lanong recently regarding the allocation of land to potential investors despite the fact that land in the State belongs to the people and not to the government.
SOMALA, a conglomerate of several NGOs in Khasi Jaiñtia and Garo Hills in a joint statement issued on Tuesday pointed out that Lanong who conveyed to investors that land acquisition in the State was not an issue has drawn wide criticism from many people.
“It is surprising that the government would allocate land to potential investors though land belongs to the people and not to the government,” SOMALA stated here on Tuesday.
The NGOs stated that the acquisition of land by the government under the Land Acquisition Act 1894 is more harmful and dangerous to the tribal people than section 4 (1)e and Section 4 (1)f of the Meghalaya Transfer of Land Acquisition Act 1971 which the present government had put on hold.
“We expect the government to carry forward the policy it approved recently prohibiting transfer of land to non-tribals, company, societies and others and not be carried away by the prospect of the in-flow of finance of the investors”, said the SOMALA.