SHILLONG: The State government has decided to relax an earlier Executive Order related to the section 4 (1) (e) of the Meghalaya Transfer of Land (Regulation) Act, 1971 to ensure the rights of religious societies for transfer of land in their name.
Section 4 (1) (e) relates to the land proposed to be transferred for a place of public religious worship by any community or as burial or cremation ground.
In a statement issued here on Monday, the Principal Secretary, Revenue and Disaster Management said that earlier, under section 4 (1) (e) and 4 (1) (f) of the Meghalaya Transfer of Land (Regulation) Act, 1971, the State Government has passed an order to keep on hold all proposals for transfer of land to non tribal entities like companies, societies, NGOs to streamline the administration of the Act and to restrict alienation of tribal land in the state pending consideration of the amendment to the Meghalaya Transfer of Land (Regulation) Act, 1971 and also pending the restructuring of the Industrial Investment Policy in the State.
Moreover, the Meghalaya Board of Revenue has directed that the second proviso of Section 3 (1) of the Meghalaya Transfer of Land (Regulation) Act, 1971 and the provision under Section 4 (1) (e) of Act does not authorize any notification to curtail the right of religious society for transfer of land in their name.
“Therefore, the Government in order to ensure that the provisions of the Act are not curtailed in terms of Section 4 (1) (e) of the Meghalaya Transfer of Land (Regulation) Act, 1971, the Government of Meghalaya has withdrawn the executive order in respect of the Section 4 (1) (e) of the Meghalaya Transfer of Land (Regulation) Act in the interest of the State with immediate effect until further orders,” the statement added.