SHILLONG, MAY 5: The State Cabinet on Tuesday approved amendments to the Meghalaya Building Byelaws, 2021, lowering the minimum land requirement for projects under the ‘special projects’ category to benefit landowners in urban areas.

“The state cabinet has approved the amendment of the Meghalaya Building Byelaws, 2021 as amended for special projects category,” Cabinet Minister and MDA spokesperson Wailadmiki Shylla told reporters after the meeting.

Under the existing byelaws, ‘special projects’ include large-scale developments such as hotels, public institutions, healthcare facilities, shopping malls, multiplexes, ICT and BPO centers, and educational institutions.

“Special projects means those projects/buildings with large scale activities such as hotels, public institutions, health care, shopping malls, multiplex, ICT, BPOs, educational institutions having a minimum plot of area of 50,000 square feet and minimum single cover area of 20,000 square feet. This will come under the special project,” Shylla explained.

The amendment reduces the minimum plot area from 50,000 sq ft to 37,500 sq ft and the minimum single cover area from 20,000 sq ft to 15,000 sq ft.

“We have seen that many of our people here, they won’t be having such big land of 50,000 square feet. So that is why with this amendment, we have reduced this area from 50,000 square feet to 37,500 square feet and a minimum single cover area of 15,000 square feet,” he said.

Shylla said the move will allow more urban landowners to qualify for special project status.

“This means that people who have this much land can build the special project where they can get more storey building which benefit them,” he said.