SHILLONG, MAY 5: The Meghalaya Cabinet has approved the direct purchase of 119 acres of land in East Garo Hills and North Garo Hills to create land banks aimed at supporting future infrastructure development.

Announcing the decision, Cabinet Minister and MDA spokesperson Wailadmiki Shylla said the move is intended to address persistent land shortages that have delayed key public projects across districts.

According to the proposal, 93.5 acres of land will be acquired at Rongalgre in East Garo Hills at a cost of approximately Rs 7 crore through direct purchase. The government noted that acquiring the same land through conventional acquisition processes would have cost over Rs 10 crore.

In North Garo Hills, 26 acres will be purchased in the Mendipathar area for around Rs 3.9 crore, compared to an estimated Rs 5.7 crore under standard acquisition methods.

The land banks are being created to facilitate upcoming infrastructure such as mini secretariats, hospitals, schools, and universities. The government has been pushing for the establishment of mini secretariats in districts to improve administrative accessibility and bring services closer to the public.

Shylla emphasized that land availability has remained a major bottleneck for development projects, making it necessary for the government to proactively secure land for future needs.

He also noted that while some districts already have land banks, they are often insufficient, particularly in newer districts like North Garo Hills, which require additional space for planned expansion.

The Cabinet maintained that the acquired land will be reserved strictly for long-term public infrastructure development.