Non-Tribals Barred from Land Purchase in Meghalaya's Garo Hills

• Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) bars non-tribals from purchasing or claiming land in Meghalaya's Garo Hills districts.
• Directive issued under the Sixth Schedule to safeguard indigenous tribal land rights and prevent alienation of land.
• Non-tribals cannot acquire, hold, or transfer any land; benami transactions are also prohibited and deemed void.
• Legally held land by non-tribals and ancestral property acquired before specific land transfer laws are exempt.
• This follows a previous ban on non-indigenous persons contesting GHADC elections scheduled for April 10.