Meghalaya government grants land ownership rights to tribal households

• Image Credit: Internet

• Nov 13, 2022 | Sourav Boruah

 Digital Desk: Despite
Meghalaya not having clear land titles, unlike other regions of India,
Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Friday awarded land ownership
rights to tribal residents of Reserve Gittim hamlet in West Garo Hills.

At a ceremony, Sangma
gave "Land Patta" to 100 tribal homes, satisfying long-standing
requests from the landowners. According to officials, the northeastern state
lacked clear land titles because of its distinctive and traditional 'Jhum
cultivation' (burn and shifting).

 The indigenous people of
Meghalaya have been asking acknowledgement of their land rights since since the
states were reorganised and Meghalaya was granted statehood in 1972. Meghalaya
was created by separating two districts from the state of Assam, where more
than 86% of the three million residents are tribal. The necessity for a
distinct demarcation of land and its ownership developed as modern farming
became more prevalent.

The indigenous people of
Meghalaya have been asking acknowledgement of their land rights since since the
states were reorganised and Meghalaya was granted statehood in 1972. Meghalaya
was created by separating two districts from the state of Assam, where more
than 86% of the three million residents are tribal. The necessity for a
distinct demarcation of land and its ownership developed as modern farming
became more prevalent.

The settlement procedure, according to West
Garo Hills district deputy commissioner Swapnil Tembe, is crucial. The land
settlement process is crucial for every application, including bank loans and
land documentation. The Forest Rights Act of 2006 was passed by the UPA
government at the Center, which is led by the Congress, to recognise the rights
of tribal and forest-dwelling communities that had ownership of forest land on
or before December 13, 2005.