Shillong: The Meghalaya State Assembly on Thursday passed an amendment eliminating the provision on land bank creation from the Meghalaya State Investment Promotion and Facilitation (Amendment) Bill, 2025.
Presenting the amendment, Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma acknowledged public apprehensions regarding the provision. Initially, the government introduced an amendment under Section 34 to address these concerns. However, as uncertainties persisted, a further amendment was proposed to reassure the public.
The chief minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to addressing concerns without undermining the broader investment framework. “Therefore, we have introduced this amendment, removing the last line from Subsection 3 of Section 4, Clause 1, which reads, and I quote: ‘Creation of land banks through direct purchase of land or other means.’ This provision is now being eliminated,” he stated.
He clarified that this deletion was intended to send a clear message that the Meghalaya Investment Promotion Agency (MIPA) was not established to create land banks or allocate land to any entity.
Sangma further assured that MIPA would not engage in land purchases, land bank creation, or any system for transferring or leasing land. Instead, its sole focus would be facilitating investments while adhering to established laws to foster an appropriate investment ecosystem.
“There is ample scope for discussion. We will formulate different rules, and once they are ready, we will invite stakeholders to discuss their concerns and address them accordingly. As mentioned earlier, the Meghalaya State Investment Promotion and Facilitation Act—true to its name—only aims to promote and facilitate investment. MIPA is not here to buy or forcibly transfer land to anyone. There is no question of transferring land to any company or organization, which has been a key concern,” said the chief minister.
VPP MLA Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit had proposed an amendment to Clause 43(1) of the MSIPF Amendment Bill, suggesting its deletion as it contradicted the Meghalaya Land Transfer Act, 1971, which governs direct land purchases in the state, particularly in Sixth Schedule areas.
However, Basaiawmoit withdrew the amendment after the state government agreed to remove the provision allowing land bank creation through direct purchases or other means.
Leader of the Opposition Mukul Sangma and other House members who participated in the discussion welcomed the government’s decision to introduce the amendment.
UDP MLA from Shella constituency, Balajied Rani, also supported the move, stating that land is a sensitive issue and remains central to discussions on development.
Rani, however, raised concerns regarding Section 39 of the Act, which states: “No suit or legal proceedings shall lie against the chairman or other members of the governing council or High-Powered Committee, State Investment Committee, District Investment Nodal Agency, or any employee of such committees for anything done or intended to be done in good faith under this Act.”
“I find this particular section very intriguing. Under the Indian Constitution, only Article 361 provides such protection to the President and the Governor of a state. While this section raises questions, my appeal to the government is to review and reconsider it,” he said.
He suggested that once the rules for the Act are formulated, discussions should be held to ensure they are structured in a way that benefits the people.
Having secured the confidence of the House, the amended bill was passed.
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