By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, March 13: Voice of the People Party (VPP) chief and Nongkrem MLA, Ardent Basaiawmoit, on Thursday urged the Chief Minister to halt all land acquisitions to ease public apprehensions.
While proposing an amendment to Clause 43(1) of the Meghalaya State Investment Promotion and Facilitation (Amendment) Bill, 2025, Basaiawmoit drew the attention of the House to a March 7, 2025, advertisement by the Meghalaya Industrial Development Corporation Ltd (MIDCL).
The advertisement invited expressions of interest for acquiring 300 acres or more of land in Ri-Bhoi district for setting up an industrial estate.
Reading out the details of the advertisement, the VPP supremo questioned the necessity of acquiring such a large tract of land and raised concerns about the ongoing acquisition process by the MIDCL.
Referring to the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation, and Resettlement Act, 2013, he pointed out that Sections 41-42 clearly state that, as far as possible, land in Scheduled Areas should not be acquired. He also emphasized that these sections stress the importance of obtaining consent from traditional heads and questioned whether the MIDCL had adhered to all the provisions.
The VPP chief further urged the government to introduce more amendments and delete Section 39 of the Act.
“We subscribe to the Chief Minister’s vision to develop, promote, and provide jobs, but we need to tread carefully when it comes to land. We are not opposing everything the government is doing, but this is a serious issue,” he said.
He criticised the insertion of a new clause in the MSIPF Bill while highlighting that Section 39 of the original Act provides blanket protection for government bodies.
“Section 39 states that no suit or legal proceedings shall lie against the chairman, members of the governing council, the High-Powered Committee, the State Investment Committee, the District Investment Nodal Agency, or any employee of such committees for actions taken in good faith. But how can we simply presume that everything they do is in good faith?” he questioned.
Basaiawmoit expressed satisfaction that the provision for land banks had been removed but reiterated his stance on protecting local land rights. He said, “We are not against investment. We are not against the government’s intention to foster growth. But we want to ensure that, no matter what, the land remains with us.”
Referring to the Chief Minister’s earlier statement that the Meghalaya Land Transfer Act would not be contradicted by the MSIPF Bill, he urged legislators to carefully examine the definitions and implications of land transfers under the Act.
“For our people, this is a matter of life and death. When the government introduced this amendment, I immediately proposed changes because we must not fall into the same trap as before. Just look at the past industrial estates in Umiam, Byrnihat, and Jaintia Hills — what real benefits have our people gained from them?” he asked.
With the state government agreeing to delete the section on land banks, Basaiawmoit withdrew his amendment.