Shillong: Meghalaya Congress chief Vincent H Pala has criticized the state government’s decision to enact the Meghalaya State Investment Promotion Facilitation Act (MSIPFA) 2024, alleging that it was driven by internal power struggles within the ruling National People’s Party (NPP).
Pala accused Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma of attempting to centralize control by placing the Invest Meghalaya Authority (IMA) under the Planning Department, which is controlled by the Chief Minister.
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He claimed that this move would allow the Chief Minister to have full authority over bringing in private investors to set up major industries in the state.
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The Congress chief also expressed disappointment over the lack of significant investment in the state since the launch of its investment policy in March this year.
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He attributed this to the lengthy and bureaucratic process, which discourages private investors from moving forward with projects.
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Pala further stated that the government’s decision to empower the IMA to create a land bank for allocating land to investors would not be effective without amending the Meghalaya Land Transfer Act of 1972.
He warned that amending the Act could potentially dilute the state’s existing land tenure system, which protects community ownership of land.