How to read a Meghalaya land holding certificate and what sits behind it
Ri Kynti or Ri Raid, A'king and Nokma, the Autonomous District Councils and the 1971 transfer law: what a Meghalaya land holding certificate tells you and what else to check.
In a cadastral state, the record of rights is a government register printed from a survey. In Meghalaya, the equivalent is usually a land holding certificate from the traditional authority of the area, read together with the deed and the sketch. It is a different kind of document, and it helps to know what it rests on.
The land categories
- Ri Kynti
- Khasi and Jaintia land owned privately by an individual or a clan. It can be inherited or transferred under customary rules.
- Ri Raid
- Khasi and Jaintia community land. A person may be allowed to use or occupy a plot, but ownership stays with the community.
- A'king
- The territory of a Garo clan. The Nokma looks after it on the clan's behalf; the Nokma does not own it personally.
Who signs, and why it matters
Read who issued the certificate before what it says. In the Khasi and Jaintia Hills it is usually the Rangbah Shnong, the village headman who heads the Dorbar Shnong, or the Syiem of the Hima or Dolloi of the Elaka. In the Garo Hills, the Nokma speaks for the A'king. A certificate from the wrong authority for that land, or for the wrong category, does not settle who holds it.
What to check on the certificate
- The holder's name, and whether the holding is individual, clan or community.
- The village or locality, and the Hima, Elaka or A'king it falls in.
- The boundaries, usually described by neighbours, roads and streams rather than a plot number.
- Any sketch attached, and whether its shape matches the deed's schedule and the ground.
The District Councils and the state
Meghalaya is a Sixth Schedule state, and three Autonomous District Councils, for the Khasi Hills, the Jaintia Hills and the Garo Hills, have powers over land in their areas alongside the traditional institutions. The state government registers deeds through the Sub-Registrar and administers the Meghalaya Transfer of Land (Regulation) Act, 1971, which restricts transfer from a tribal to a non-tribal, and between non-tribals, without permission.
From the certificate to the map
A certificate describes boundaries in words. Joining its sketch with the deed's sketch and the neighbours' sketches on one canvas is how you check that the words, the drawings and the ground all agree before a sale, a loan or a building permission.
🔗 Meghalaya land and customary tenure glossary →Frequently asked questions
Is a land holding certificate the same as a patta?+
It plays a similar role, saying who holds the land, but it comes from the traditional authority under customary law rather than from a revenue register. Read it with the registered deed and the sketch.
Can a non-tribal buy land in Meghalaya?+
The Meghalaya Transfer of Land (Regulation) Act, 1971 restricts transfer from a tribal to a non-tribal, and between non-tribals, without permission from the competent authority. Whether a specific transfer can go ahead is a question for the Deputy Commissioner's office and an advocate.
What is the difference between Ri Kynti and Ri Raid?+
Ri Kynti is privately owned by a person or clan. Ri Raid is community land that a person may use but not own outright. It decides who has to agree to a transfer.