Only 24% households own land in State: 2011 Census
SHILLONG: The number of community landholders in the State is decreasing and the district councils have failed to protect land rights of the poor, said HSPDP legislator Ardent Basaiawmoit on Wednesday quoting a provisional data from the Socio- Economic and Caste Census (SECC), 2011, for rural India.
Basaiawmoit, who moved a cut motion jointly with UDP’s Titosstarwell Chyne in the Assembly, highlighted the landlessness in Meghalaya and asked the government to intervene.
In his reply, Deputy Chief Minister in charge Revenue and Disaster Management R.C Laloo said the government is concerned and will do “everything possible in the matter”.
Basaiawmoit, while presenting his argument, quoted from the SECC data, which was released in New Delhi in 2015, saying, “Most of the land in Meghalaya is privately owned. Of the 4,85,913 households, there are only 1,16,723 (24 per cent) households with land,” Basaiawmoit said.
On the landholding scenario in the North East, the Nongkrem MLA said of the 80,43,896 households in rural areas of eight northeastern states, only 33,06,326 (41 per cent) have land.
“The total land in rural North East has been pegged at 11,69,32,314.945 hectares as against the national figure of 1,05,75,22,765.188 hectares. The state with the least number of households with land is Mizoram, followed by Meghalaya,” he said, adding, “The data reveals a sorry state of affairs.”
The MLA slammed the autonomous district councils, especially the KHADC and the JHADC, for having “miserably failed” to protect the land rights of the poor.
“The power (to protect land) is vested on them by the provision of the Sixth Schedule. They have also failed to reign in the traditional chiefs and instead it was found out that they are working in tandem with local chiefs to exploit the people,” Basaiawmoit said.
Expressing concern, Laloo said the government would have to be careful while dealing with traditional chiefs, especially in matters of land.
According to the HSPDP MLA, the price of land is skyrocketing making it impossible for people in the low-income group to buy even a small plot of land and in absence of regulations, the haves continue to benefit more.
“It has always been claimed that the land tenure system in Meghalaya is peculiar where land belongs to the people, not the government. To me, it is peculiar because it is an irony that only 24 per cent of the households in Meghalaya own land,” he said.
The minister said the Meghalaya Transfer of Land (Regulation) Act, 1971, has been fairly successful in preventing alienation of tribal land.
He said keeping accurate record of government land is an uphill task but the government has already surveyed 17 areas using modern technology.
All deputy commissioners have been directed to protect government land under their jurisdiction from encroachment by constructing fence or walls, Laloo informed the House.
On international boundary with Bangladesh, he said the 2011 protocol to the land boundary agreement of 1974 has been ratified by the Parliament and the boundary has been drawn. “The State has constructed 134 new pillars and demolished 73 old ones on the border,” he added.
Registration fee, alienation
Earlier, taking part in the discussion, Jemino Mawthoh of UDP said the government should reduce land registration fee.
He also asked the government to address the alienation of land from the poor as the people in rural areas are compelled to give away land at throwaway prices due to the poor economic activities.
Paul Lyngdoh (UDP) said that the officers dealing with registration of land should go to the remote areas to register the land of the border residents as there is aggressive effort on the part of the officers of Assam to register the land. “There is a need to have a change of approach on the part of the State government officials in dealing with the matter”, he said.
James Sangma (NPP) wanted the government to be free from red tape in terms of disbursing relief to affected persons due to calamities.
Saleng Sangma (Independent), K.P Pangniang and D. Jyndiang (both HSPDP) and P.N Syiem (Congress) also took part in the discussion and urged the government to address the problems faced by people.
Lawsohtun catchment area
Chyne wanted to know whether the government is contemplating declaring Lawsohtun as a catchment area following the directive of the erstwhile Gauhati High Court where it asked the Catchment Areas Advisory Board to decide within 60 days from the date of the judgment whether Lawsohtun was eligible for the status.
In his reply, Laloo said the matter is being examined by the Law Department.
Chyne also cited the government’s delay in taking over Maxwelton Estate (about 7 acres) near the temporary Assembly building which, according to the government, is pending with the Court.