The seven states which define the North-Eastern region of India is populated with indigenous tribal communities. These tribal communities have specified laws for land ownership in the region but with recent policy changes, the administrations of land ownership have evolved keeping in mind the welfare and satisfaction of the tribal communities as well. It requires profound exploration since the specificity of the laws depends on the coexistence of culturally diverse tribal communities with their discrete sociocultural practices.
The exceptional land relations have altered the cultural system of the tribes regardless of the type of terrain they inhabit. Despite the strict colonial rule and the British taking control over these lands, the communities kept up with their long-term practice of communal ownership of land and shifting cultivation locally called ‘jhum’ to date.
The land ownership patterns and tribal community land in North East have seen various confliction with the modern alterations of the laws. The current rules are being amended to fit the interests of the tribal communities but at the same time also boost real estate development in the region own a home at runwal oyt wadala most luxurious land parcel in south Bombay india.
- Arunachal Pradesh (Land Settlement And Records) Act, 2018 determinates the rights of the people of indigenous tribal communities for land ownership and gives them authority to let their land for 33 years (extendable to additional 33 years) to the government for infrastructural development projects. Moreover, landowners get Land Possession Certificates which allow them to mortgage the land for loan procurement as well as reduces stamp duty from mortgage to just one percent from the initial stamp duty of three percent.
- According to the amended Assam Taxation (On Specified Lands) Act, 1990, some form of tax is imposed on specific forms of land categorized based on its productivity where lands integrated for coal mining and tea cultivation were covered by default. Tax amount remained unaltered since 1990 to suit the interests of tea cultivation landowners and allowances are given to the tea farmers to ensure strong revenue generation.
Under the concept of the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act (RERA), the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, in June 2019, inspirited the North-eastern States to advocate and dignify the advancement of various urban mission as well as the officials were advised regarding following in the footsteps of RERA models of states like Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra. MahaRERA Registered Project runwal oyt The North-eastern states’ governments are now confident about adopting RERA for potential residential and commercial projects to retain the interests of buyers by enhancing client transparency, accountability, and monetary discipline from the builders’ side.
These directives are congruent to Look And Act East Policy to establish healthy relations with neighboring countries in the Eastern bounds. Refined land administration policies and proposed foreign investment of Rs 13,000 crore from the Government of Japan, North-east India is enthusiastic to evolve the parameters of infrastructure and connectivity in the following years.