East Mojo: Meghalaya: Friday, 14 March 2025.
The RTI process was delayed and obstructed by MIPA, which only released information after a second appeal hearing at the State Information Commission.
Thma U Rangli-Juki (TUR),
a people's organisation from Meghalaya, has obtained documents through an RTI
application that reveal the Meghalaya Investment Promotion Authority (MIPA) is
'pushing through a bill that allows unilateral decisions on investments in the
state, bypassing proper oversight'.
The RTI process was delayed and obstructed by MIPA, which only released information after a second appeal hearing at the State Information Commission. In December 2024, after months of delay, TUR was granted access to inspect MIPA’s files formerly known as Invest Meghalaya Authority. The three files, including note sheets, have been uploaded to hokmeghalaya.in for public viewing.
TUR leader Angela Rangad expressed shock at MIPA’s functioning, highlighting the difficulty in even locating the authority’s office. "In the first instance, we only met a group of clueless consultants in a room at the main secretariat, who informed us they were reporting to K. Hynniewta of the Planning Department," said Rangad.
The formation of MIPA is equally alarming, she said. The authority was created through a law introduced in February 2024 and passed in March 2024 without a pre-legislative consultative process or thorough debate in the assembly.
Threat to Land and Livelihoods
The law concentrates power in the hands of a few, allowing them to decide investment policies and alienate tribal lands. With 80% of the tribal population landless, this act could worsen land dispossession and deepen economic inequality, TUR said. Despite recent amendments to the Land Transfer Act, MIPA’s actions pose an imminent threat by facilitating land hoarding among local elites at the expense of ordinary people, TUR added.
Documents accessed by TUR reveal MIPA’s non-transparent plans to "repurpose" land for projects in Shillong. Notable among these are:
Widening Bivar Road by cutting into Ward’s Lake, a move that would destroy one of Shillong’s few public spaces.
Taking over the English Service Church next to the old Legislative Assembly, disregarding heritage preservation and religious sentiments.
In the name of "ease of doing business" and a $10 billion economy goal, the government is pushing for rapid investment without due diligence on sustainability, land rights, and worker protections, TUR said, warning that these rushed decisions could have disastrous long-term consequences for Meghalaya’s environment, economy, and social fabric.
"TUR condemns the government’s undemocratic and non-transparent practices that bypass public accountability. We urge the government to initiate broad consultations to involve civil society in shaping the rules of the act," Rangad stated in a press release.
TUR has pledged to continue advocating for an alternative governance model that prioritizes egalitarian economic progress, policy transparency, and sustainable development in Meghalaya.
The RTI process was delayed and obstructed by MIPA, which only released information after a second appeal hearing at the State Information Commission.
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| File pic of Angela Rangad |
The RTI process was delayed and obstructed by MIPA, which only released information after a second appeal hearing at the State Information Commission. In December 2024, after months of delay, TUR was granted access to inspect MIPA’s files formerly known as Invest Meghalaya Authority. The three files, including note sheets, have been uploaded to hokmeghalaya.in for public viewing.
TUR leader Angela Rangad expressed shock at MIPA’s functioning, highlighting the difficulty in even locating the authority’s office. "In the first instance, we only met a group of clueless consultants in a room at the main secretariat, who informed us they were reporting to K. Hynniewta of the Planning Department," said Rangad.
The formation of MIPA is equally alarming, she said. The authority was created through a law introduced in February 2024 and passed in March 2024 without a pre-legislative consultative process or thorough debate in the assembly.
Threat to Land and Livelihoods
The law concentrates power in the hands of a few, allowing them to decide investment policies and alienate tribal lands. With 80% of the tribal population landless, this act could worsen land dispossession and deepen economic inequality, TUR said. Despite recent amendments to the Land Transfer Act, MIPA’s actions pose an imminent threat by facilitating land hoarding among local elites at the expense of ordinary people, TUR added.
Documents accessed by TUR reveal MIPA’s non-transparent plans to "repurpose" land for projects in Shillong. Notable among these are:
Widening Bivar Road by cutting into Ward’s Lake, a move that would destroy one of Shillong’s few public spaces.
Taking over the English Service Church next to the old Legislative Assembly, disregarding heritage preservation and religious sentiments.
In the name of "ease of doing business" and a $10 billion economy goal, the government is pushing for rapid investment without due diligence on sustainability, land rights, and worker protections, TUR said, warning that these rushed decisions could have disastrous long-term consequences for Meghalaya’s environment, economy, and social fabric.
"TUR condemns the government’s undemocratic and non-transparent practices that bypass public accountability. We urge the government to initiate broad consultations to involve civil society in shaping the rules of the act," Rangad stated in a press release.
TUR has pledged to continue advocating for an alternative governance model that prioritizes egalitarian economic progress, policy transparency, and sustainable development in Meghalaya.
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