Sale of apartments under the purview of Land Transfer Act?
SHILLONG: There is an alleged move on the part of the State Government to bring sale and purchase of apartments (flats) in the city under the purview of the Meghalaya Land Transfer Act, if one goes by the claims of a Sub-registrar.
A non-indigenous person who wanted to buy a flat in Ferndale Housing Complex, Shillong, was prevented from registering the sale deed agreement by a Sub-registrar here on Wednesday.
It was learnt that when the non-indigenous person approached the Sub-registrar for registering the sale deed agreement, the official objected to the agreement while stating that the Land Transfer Act is in the process of being amendment so that a non-tribal cannot be allowed to own a flat. The official further claimed that she cannot sign the sale papers as she had been ordered by her superiors against doing so.
Contradicting the Sub-registrar’s claims, a city-based lawyer stated that the State Government had issued a notification in 2009 allowing non-tribal residents to own flats.
When contacted, East Khasi Hills Deputy Commissioner Sanjay Goyal denied knowledge of any such directive.