Settlement offered to bring an end to disputes over encroachment in Govt lands
Shillong, Nov 26: In a major decision towards resolving tension over encroachment on government lands in Tura, the state government has decided to regularise the land through long-term lease to the current occupants.
Announcing the government decision after a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said, “The cabinet today approved the proposal from GAD to go for settlements of these encroached lands. So, these will be leased out through long-term lease to the people who are staying in that land.”
The first phase of the land settlement exercise will start immediately, Sangma said.
Stating that the plots of land have been under encroachment for the past 30-50 years, he pointed out that the decision will put an end to many ongoing court cases, drama over eviction drives, and even law and order situations.
The General Administrative Department (GAD) placed the proposal following success of a similar exercise adopted for Williamnagar two-three years ago.
The land settlement is being done based on certain criteria “so that in the future, there are no more complications and no more situations that the government or the public has to face”, the chief minister said.
Meanwhile, the exercise for the land settlement has been going on for the past two years during which surveys were conducted, digital maps created, and drone surveys done.
The government has also conducted public hearing to take opinion of the respective localities for granting settlements to the occupants on government land.
Sangma assured that the government would not force any locality that had not agreed to the government proposal.
“We are not forcing those localities but in the second phase we will continue our discussions with them,” he said.
Underlining the importance of the decision for Tura town, he said, “Being my constituency, I know the problem first hand and I have been engaging with the public at large.”
He also expressed happiness over being able to settle the long-pending issue in his constituency.
