meghalaya land patta | meghalaya bhulekh | land ownership in meghalaya | land records meghalaya |
Meghalaya Land Records:-
Meghalaya land records include a variety of papers and crucial information that provide detailed information on the land. Land records in Meghalaya include RoR, property mutation, tenancy, and land registry. Meghalaya land details may also include the state’s most recent mapping of regions, development plans, land registration, and circle rates.
Meghalaya Land records provide transparency by allowing citizens to examine ownership details. Because the people of Meghalaya may now immediately access the Meghalaya Bhulekh, they are better aware of the market worth of their property. Not to add, the upkeep of Meghalaya Bhunaksha helps individuals determine if a property is genuine or not.
Let us take a closer look at Meghalaya land records and see why they have not been digitalized.
Meghalaya Land Records
Tribes from all across India’s North East coexist in Meghalaya, one of the North East’s seven sister states, each with its own distinct culture, customs, and communication techniques. Meghalaya is one of the few states where the territory under its control is not held by the state government, but by native tribes that have lived there for thousands of years.
The Directorate of Land Records and Survey, Meghalaya (DLRS, Meghalaya) is in charge of keeping track of Meghalaya land details. The Land Survey and Records Preparation Act, 1980 established the Meghalaya Land Survey and Records Preparation (DLRS) 1980. The Meghalaya Revenue and Disaster Management Department (MRDMD) is in charge of it.
Core Functionality of the Directorate of Land Records and Survey, Meghalaya
The main functionalities of the Directorate of Land Records and Survey, Meghalaya include:-
- Executing meticulously planned land-related surveys in order to create a comprehensive inventory of Land Records.
- Work for and across numerous districts and subdivisions in the state of Meghalaya on land and property issues.
- Preparing strip maps, particularly for differentiating lands in India and Bangladesh border areas, to ensure that no extra land is unlawfully owned by Bangladeshi soldiers and people.
- If Bangladeshi military and civilians have taken control of Indian land areas, they must carry out their official restoration work.
- Preparing a comprehensive record of all Meghalaya land details actions inside the state.
For the aforementioned goals, the Directorate of Land Records and Survey, Meghalaya usually collaborates with DLRS (Shillong), which in turn supplies DLRS Meghalaya with a ‘Bhunaksha’ or cadastral map. It also collaborates closely with branches from six Meghalayan districts and one subdivision, as well as the Meghalaya Survey School (MSS) in Tura.
Why Meghalaya Land Details Are Not Available Online
Since the national government of India undertook the National Land Records Modernization Programme (NLRMP) to digitise the age-old Talukdari system, state governments across the country have demonstrated commitment to bringing about and advancing this digital transformation. When it comes to land-related enquiries and information, the digitization of land records promotes openness, accountability, and ease of access.
Despite the fact that practically other Indian governments have already established substantial portals dedicated to all important information related to land records in their respective jurisdictions, the Northeastern state of Meghalaya has not. Although there is a distinct department that manages the state’s land records and surveys – the Directorate of Land Records and Survey – information on land records is not available on any of the web portals run by Meghalaya. A variety of factors have contributed to the inaccessibility of Land Records information online. Some of them are as follows:-
- The ownership of ‘land’ as a commodity does not reside with the state government, but rather with the different tribal groups that have inhabited the area since time immemorial. As a result, the state cannot impose any prices or standards on the indigenous people or their properties.
- It is difficult for the state government of Meghalaya to impart computer literacy to tribals, especially when they prefer and keep to their own distinct ways of communicating and calculating. This is why, even under the British Raj, physical surveys were done in the state, specifically in the Garo Hills.
- The whole point of digital land records is to increase transparency and accountability. If the state government fails to consider these critical governing issues when bringing about modernity, the entire aim of ‘accountability’ will be undermined.
Despite the over 100-year backlog in on-premises and digital records, the Meghalaya Land Survey and Records Preparation Act of 1980 requires the state of Meghalaya to have an official land survey in place. This will eventually aid in the clearing of land possession and acquisition across the state of Meghalaya. In the same vein, the Meghalaya State Government is gradually formalising and organising the whole Land Records system, which would also benefit local communities and villages.
Meghalaya Land Records Current Status
As a tribal state, the State Government of Meghalaya has found it difficult to implement computerized Land Records registration and survey projects inside the state’s boundaries.
Despite the fact that the State Government of Meghalaya is committed to implementing digital modes of Land Records in the state, in accordance with the guidelines established by the National Land Records Modernization Programme (NLRMP), it should be noted that the Land Record are currently maintained on-premises, offline. This is also due to the fact that no land-related surveys have been conducted in the state in over 100 years, with the most recent being carried out under the British Raj, and only of a few villages in the Garo Hills. This is the primary reason why RoR does not exist in the North-Eastern state.
Despite the century-long gap, the Meghalaya Land Survey and Records Preparation Act, 1980, makes it obligatory for Meghalaya to have an official land survey in place. This will eventually aid in the clearing of land possession and acquisition across the state of Meghalaya.
Meghalaya Land Records: Latest News
Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council Gives Approval to Implementation of New Land Records
June 14, 2023:-
The Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) recently approved new land records in the area. The subcommittee appointed to gather ideas on how to enhance the land department proposed these new land records. Lamphrang Blah was the chairman of the subcommittee.
One of the committee’s principal suggestions was to preserve land records through digitization, taking into account current technologies. Titosstarwell Chyne, the Chief of the KHADC committee, also declared that the approved regulations of the Land Act had obtained the Governor’s consent.
The Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) is a self-governing entity in Meghalaya, India. The council’s jurisdiction includes the districts of Eastern West Khasi Hills, West Khasi Hills, East Khasi Hills, and Ri Bhoi.