Discrepancies in Industrial Policy, Land Tenure System stressed upon
By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The Social Organisations of Meghalaya against Land Alienation (SOMALA) submitted a petition to the Chief Minister requesting him to put on hold the implementation of new Industrial Policy 2012, till further discussion with all the stake holders.
The petition was submitted following SOMALA’s claims of unearthing discrepancies pertaining to the land administration of the State government since the inception of Meghalaya.
In a statement issued here on Sunday, SOMALA, a conglomeration of several local NGOs including KSU, FKJGP and CSWO besides others alleged that it was the inability and unwillingness of the State government to protect the land of the indigenous people from being sold out to non-tribal people against prevailing Land Laws and executive orders.
According to SOMALA, in the year 1971, the State government had enacted the Meghalaya Transfer of Land Regulation Act 1971. Later on, in 1978 and 1979, the government had promulgated two executive orders to strengthen the Land Laws.
“It is sad to say that although we have land laws and executive orders of the State government in place, the government seems to have forgotten about the same and never enforced them about 40 years ago”, SOMALA convener W Anthony said while alleging that the State government never took steps to protect the land of the indigenous people from alienation to the non-tribal people.
SOMALA also mentioned that in 1971, the State
government amended the Meghalaya Transfer of Land Regulation Act 1971 by inserting two new sections, sec 4(1) e and 4(1) f, enabling non-tribal investors to build up industrial complex like cement companies and create other infrastructures like universities.
Terming the single window agency, which comprises of the Chief Minister as chairman and the bureaucrats as members, as a violation of the land tenure system of the State that existed since time immemorial, SOMALA said, “The single window agency assumes the role of making a decision with regard to the extent and the limit of the areas which will be sold to an investor giving no opportunities to the land owners and traditional institutions to have a say whether such a decision is in their interest or not.”
Moreover, SOMALA also alleged that the government did not check the role of the sub-registrar in the registration of land documents which are illegal according to the Land Transfer Act.
“The illegal registrations are afoot and the matter has been brought to the notice of the Chief Minister”, Anthony said.
They also alleged the government of by-passing the notification issued on March 30 2011, forbidding transfer of land under sec 4(1) e and 4(1) f, by issuing a notification on August 28, 2012 allowing the investors to establish private universities without consulting the joint committee, which is supposed to be a cabinet -sub-committee.
“It seems that the new industrial policy is more injurious to the cause of the indigenous people because the government intends to grant land lease to the investors and the question arises as to how the government will grant lease to the investors when it has no land of its own as the land belongs to the people”, Anthony said.
Turning to influx, SOMALA said that the government did not oppose the influx of non-tribal people through the process of enrolment of voters under the new guideline of the Election Commission of India enabling a voter to enroll in Meghalaya by having an overnight stay in the State.
“We consider it as against the mandate of the constitution, as Meghalaya is a sixth schedule State”, the SOMALA convener said.