Shillong: At least 100 tribal households in Meghalaya’s West Garo Hills were given land ownership rights by the state government.
Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Friday transferred land ownership rights to the families living at the Reserve Gittim village in West Garo Hills.
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The families had been demanding ownership rights for several decades.
As per officials, there were no clear land titles in the state due to the traditional agrarian systems of “Jhum cultivation” and a distinctive social structure.
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It may be mentioned that in Meghalaya, 86 per cent of the population belong to tribal communities.
It may be mentioned that on August 19, 2019, a memorandum was presented to Chief Minister Shri Conrad Sangma requesting him to take resolve the challenges related to land rights faced by people
Apart from these families, another 100 land pattas will be handed over to the rightful beneficiaries/owners.
Chief Minister Sangma said, “Right over land is key to the tribal identity of our people. Hence the transfer of Land Rights to the rightful owners is one of our topmost agendas.”
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He added, “In the past four and a half years of our tenure, we have done everything to help the people of Reserve Gittim, we have made legal provisions to award legal rights over land to the tribal people of Meghalaya. Going ahead we plan to help tribal people across the state who are facing similar challenges.”