By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The Congress-led MUA Government has kept its major constituent UDP in the dark while revoking its earlier Executive Order (EO), which prohibits transfer of land to non-tribal entities.
Revealing this here on Saturday, UDP working president Paul Lyngdoh said, “We were not taken into confidence while taking this crucial decision. We came to know about it only after it came out in the media.”
The UDP working president insisted that the Congress, which is heading the government, should have consulted its coalition partners before taking this decision.
It may be mentioned that the state government in its order dated 24th August 2012 relaxed the executive order dated 30th March, 2011. The order kept education out from the purview of the executive order to facilitate private universities to buy land to set up their campus in the state.
On March 30 2011, the government issued an EO which put on hold the transfer of land to non-tribal entities as per the Meghalaya Land Transfer (Regulation) Act, 1971.
Several organizations including Social Organisations of Meghalaya Against Land Alienation (SOMALA) has opposed the government’s move.
The latest order interestingly stated that the previous order issued on March 30 in its “original form” will continue to be applicable and operational in Ri-Bhoi district.
The SOMALA has even threatened to protest the government’s latest move.
