Tura, Dec. 13 -- Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on Friday handed over land pattas through long-term leases to eight localities in Tura town area, thus resolving the decades-long disputes between the public and the government over encroached General Administration Department (GAD) land.
Sangma said the first phase covers localities that have already agreed to the process, where surveys, drone mapping, digital mapping, and public hearings have been completed over the past two years.
Localities that have not yet agreed will be considered in the second phase, and no area will be compelled to participate, the Chief Minister said.
"For many years, several government properties and office spaces were encroached upon, resulting in court ...