Shillong, Dec 12: The Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) wanted the state government to revoke the amendment to the Meghalaya State Investment Promotion and Facilitation Act, 2024 for entrusting the Investment Meghalaya Agency (IMA) to purchase and provide land to investors .
According to the KSU, the amendment of is against the spirit of the Meghalaya Land Transfer Act.Speaking to reporters on Thursday, the KSU general secretary Donald V Thabah said, “We would like to send a clear message to the state government that it should come out clean on this and how it will benefit the people of the state. If the government cannot do that, then it should repeal or revoke this Act.”
Another concern is that the IMA will purchase land and hand it over to private investors without consulting the traditional institutions under the sixth schedule, such as the KHADC, the JHADC and GHADC, Thabah said.
He also said it is not clear whether the investors will be indigenous people of the state or outsiders.
If the private investors are involved, there should be a policy to provide 75% employment to locals like in the states of Haryana, Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Andhra Pradesh”, he said.
“There are many loopholes within the act and we feel that it will not benefit us and apart from that also, the governing council is being given more or less absolute power whereby the governing council if there are a few members absent, one or two can decide whom to give the land. And discretionary power is also being given to them whereby they can acquire land without consent of any particular department. And what is even worse we can see is that it has been mentioned clearly in the act that no legal action or lawsuit can be filed against the governing council in case of any discrepancies,” he added.
HNLC against increase in lease period
The HNLC has criticised the government for increasing the lease period on government land for 60 years.
As Orchid Polo resort will be developed as a four-star hotel, the state cabinet had on Dec 2 approved the proposal to increase the lease period on government land to 60 years from the current 30 years and subsequently renewable for another 30 years.
The HNLC called for immediate rejection of such anti-people policies.
In a statement, HNLC general secretary cum publicity secretary Sainkupar Nongtraw said, “It is about sacrificing the rights of indigenous communities for the benefit of corporate greed. Projects like the Rs 300 crore Orchid Polo venture will not uplift the Hynniewtrep people but instead lead to the erosion of our cultural heritage, environmental degradation, and economic dependency. The voices of local entrepreneurs, environmental advocates, and community leaders have been silenced in favor of outsider interests.”
According to Nongtraw, for the last 17 years, the finance portfolio has been monopolized by chief ministers, first Mukul Sangma for a decade and now Conrad Sangma for seven years.
“Unlike progressive states such as Assam, where specialized finance ministers handle fiscal responsibilities, Meghalaya suffers from a centralized and autocratic approach that has led to severe socio-economic challenges. If larger states like Assam can appoint finance ministers to ensure efficient management, why can’t Meghalaya? , the HNLC said.
“Despite being rich in resources, the state remains mired in poverty and unemployment, with its youth left without hope or opportunities. Mismanagement and corruption have drained resources meant for education and infrastructure, leaving communities vulnerable and dependent. These failures are not accidental—they are the direct result of a system designed to marginalize the Hynniewtrep people,” Nongtraw said.
The HNLC also criticised cabinet minister Paul Lyngdoh for being part of the decision.
“Paul Lyngdoh, by leasing our land for a staggering 60 years to foreign investors, is effectively condemning two generations of our future to servitude. Imagine the grim reality: when he had a newborn child, that child will grow up, have their own family, and in 60 years, become grandparents—but by then, their heritage, their land, their future will be sold off to outsiders”, the HNLC said.
