The Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) has barred non-tribal individuals from purchasing or claiming land in the Garo Hills districts of Meghalaya, invoking its constitutional authority under the Sixth Schedule to safeguard indigenous land ownership.
Officials said the council issued a notification on Thursday stating that non-tribal persons would not be allowed to acquire, purchase, hold, possess, inherit, lease, mortgage, transfer or claim any right or interest over land in the region.
The council said the directive was aimed at protecting the land, customary rights and traditional ownership of indigenous tribal communities and preventing alienation of land to non-tribal persons.
However, the order clarified that land already legally held by non-tribal individuals would not be affected. According to the notification, any transfer, settlement, mutation, registration or recognition of land in favour of a non-tribal person will not be considered valid and will not be acted upon by any authority.
The council has also prohibited benami transactions in which land is held in the name of a tribal person for the benefit of a non-tribal individual. Such arrangements will be treated as void and unenforceable.
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It further stated that any right or possession obtained in violation of the notification would be liable to cancellation, resumption or restoration in accordance with the law.
At the same time, the council clarified that the directive would not apply to non-tribal persons who had lawfully inherited or acquired ancestral property before the enforcement of the applicable land transfer laws or regulations.
The notification also said that any holding or land transaction specifically sanctioned by the government or a competent authority under existing laws would remain valid. However, such exempted holdings cannot be further transferred without prior approval of the competent authority.
The order has come into force with immediate effect.
The Sixth Schedule of the Constitution provides special administrative arrangements for tribal areas in four northeastern states, Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram, allowing autonomous district councils to legislate on matters including land, forests and customary laws.
The latest directive comes weeks after the GHADC issued another notification barring non-indigenous persons from contesting elections to the council. Polls to the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council are scheduled to be held on April 10.
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