Meghalaya Govt directs 3 ADCs to implement digitization of land records

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaNovember 3, 2023

Deputy Chief Minister in-charge District Council Affairs Prestone Tynsong on Friday convened a meeting with the KHADC, JHADC and GHADC and directed them to implement the digitisation of land records in their respective jurisdictions.

Speaking to reporters, Tynsong said, “We have already decided that once the notification comes out, all the three district councils have to immediately implement this digitisation of land records in their respective jurisdictions.”

He informed that the Government of India through the department of land resources is willing to fund this important project which seeks to ensure digitisation of land records by each and every state in the country.

“We have a detailed discussion and we have decided this responsibility should be given and entrusted to all the three district councils, they will become the implementing agencies in their respective jurisdictions,” Tynsong said. He said, “We will also have the project management unit (PMU) to be headed by the secretary in-charge DCA and members will be from the revenue department, respective deputy commissioners and district councils.”

To a question, the deputy CM said both the district council and the government do not have land records.

“If you ask whether from the district council or the government, we don’t have a land record. There is no land record.”

Further, Tynsong said that the digitalisation programme would further reduce cases of land dispute.

“Right now the experience, I just shared with my colleagues of 3 district councils – when we go for land acquisition may be for 10 km or 20 kms for construction of roads what happen we have a very bad experienced, the moment we release the compensation to one particular land owner, may be authenticated by the local headman or by the Syiem, again after one week or two weeks another will come and claim maybe from the same title – so these are the challenges we have and through this digitalisation I am telling you it will reduce such (cases) and it will transform the state of Meghalaya,” he added.

Asked about land along the inter-state border with Assam, the deputy CM said, “Digitalisation means it will take place entirely and right now we are going to the three district councils which are under the Sixth Schedule. When you talk about government/revenue land or maybe cantonment land or whatever that will come in the next phase but the first phase right now is we are talking about the land which is totally under the Sixth Schedule.”