CORRESPONDENT
SHILLONG: Member of Parliament from the Shillong Parliamentary Constituency and Voice of the People Party leader Ricky A.J. Syngkon suggested a cadastral survey as a crucial intervention to settle property boundaries, resolve land disputes, regulate land use, streamline development, improve property taxation, and strengthen land registration and administration.
Delivering an address at a national seminar on "Land, Development and Livelihood in Meghalaya," organized by the Department of Political Science, North-Eastern Hill University at U Kiang Nongbah Guest House, Syngkon underscored that a cadastral survey is not merely a technical exercise but a governance imperative for legal certainty and sound land management.
It may be mentioned that a cadastral survey is a precise, legally governed method of mapping and documenting land parcel boundaries to determine property lines, dimensions, and ownership, forming official records essential for taxation and secure property rights. Stressing that land in Meghalaya is far more than an economic asset, Syngkon told the gathering, "For us in Meghalaya, I would say that land is not simply an economic resource. It is a foundation of our culture, the symbol of our identity, and the bond that ties our community together. Therefore, to lose land is not just to lose property; it is to lose a part of who we are." He reminded the audience that the Sixth Schedule was secured with this understanding to protect tribal rights for future generations.
While acknowledging the inevitability of development, Syngkon warned that progress must not erode the state's ecological and cultural wealth. "This progress or development, whatever type of development we are talking about, should never come at the cost of our forest, our rivers, and of course, our fragile ecology. And our natural wealth is very much part of our collective inheritance. Once it is lost, it cannot be brought back," he asserted.
Referring to the Meghalaya Transfer of Land Regulation Act, 1971, he described it as a visionary safeguard. "This Act was a landmark measure to prevent the alienation of tribal land to non-tribals… Yet, I would say that its spirit remains invaluable. It reminds us that development must never come at the cost of identity. And what we need today, therefore, is to strengthen this law and also adapt it to the new reality," he said.
Raising concerns over intra-tribal land alienation driven by market forces, Syngkon pointed out growing inequality within the tribal community. "One of the growing challenges that we face today is not really from outside, but I would say it is from within… wealthier members of our own community acquiring more land and in most cases at the expense of the poor and marginalized people," he said. He cited cases of land being bought cheaply, sometimes through outsiders marrying into tribal families, and later sold at exorbitant prices, including to the government and private companies. Such practices, he cautioned, "weaken our social fabric and risk concentrating wealth and power in the hands of a few."
Calling for collective reflection, he suggested, "Maybe a cadastral survey, which can be carried out as an intervention, will help in terms of property boundary definition, land dispute resolution, land use planning and development, property taxation, land registration and administration, etc."
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