Shillong, June 27: The cabinet has decided to regularise the lands owned by the government that have been encroached by the public in Williamnagar, East Garo Hills.
Two localities namely Balsrigittim and Warimagre in the township will be regularised.
According to the government, lands were illegally occupied by over 1,200 households in the two localities.
Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said on Monday after the cabinet meeting that the government is only implementing the decision taken in 2002-2003.
In 2002-03, the then cabinet had decided to regularise the land and to have an agreement with the public who had been illegally occupying the land owned by the government, he said.
“Hence the government of the day has decided to implement this decision for Williamnagar where lands in two localities – Balsrigittim and Warinagre – were approximately 1,200 houses are present –will be regularised. We will be signing a long-term lease with each of the occupants where the ownership of the land will remain with the government,” Conrad said.
The limit has been set at 10,000 sq ft for each family and the rate will be based on the GHADC classification where for Warinagre, which is a first class land, the rate has been fixed at Rs 2.50 lakh per bigha and Balsrigittim, which is a second class land at Rs 1.87 lakh per bigha besides a monthly amount will be taken from these families, he added.
Tura to come under similar pattern
The chief minister said the same pattern will also be adopted in areas under Tura town. “Steps are now taken to do the survey as large areas have also been occupied by the public. We will figure out ways and means to regularise these lands where the ownership will remain with the government,” he said.
“This has been done in the larger interest as there has been too much of confusion, too many court cases and too many situations in the past which the government strongly feels that these things should not go on forever and therefore, we need to find an amicable solution to these problems and this is one step to that,” he said.
To a question, the chief minister said the government will generate a one-time revenue of Rs 8 crore and Rs 2.67 crore yearly from the land at Balsrigittim and Rs 4.5 crore and Rs 1 crore from Warinagre land.
