Conversion Reference (from GoRT)
| Unit | Square Metres |
|---|---|
| 1 Hectare10,000 square metres; 100 are | 10,000.00 sq.m |
| 1 Acre4,840 square yards; 0.4047 hectare | 4,046.86 sq.m |
| 1 Square MetreBase SI areal unit; 1 m × 1 m | 1.00 sq.m |
| 1 Are100 square metres; 1/100 hectare | 100.00 sq.m |
| 1 Square Feet0.3048 m × 0.3048 m | 0.09 sq.m |
Trilingual Revenue Terms (from GoRT Section II)
| English | Hindi | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|
| District | जिला | Zila |
| Village | गाँव | Gaon |
| Survey / Plot No. | सर्वे / प्लॉट संख्या | Survey / Plot Sankhya |
| Patta / Land Title | पट्टा / भूमि अधिकार | Patta / Bhumi Adhikar |
| Clan / Owner | कुल / स्वामी | Kul / Swami |
| Extent / Area | क्षेत्रफल | Kshetrafal |
| Land Classification | भूमि वर्गीकरण | Bhumi Vargikaran |
| Revenue Circle | राजस्व मंडल | Rajaswa Mandal |
| Mutation | नामांतरण | Namantaran |
| Boundary | सीमा | Seema |
Area Unit Description (from GoRT)
Meghalaya is unique among Indian states because most land is not owned by the government but held communally or by clans under customary law, protected by the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. Land falls broadly into two categories: Ri-Raid (community land where no individual has proprietary, heritable or transferable rights — only rights of use and occupancy granted by the village Dorbar) and Ri-Kynti (private or clan land held with property, heritable and transferable rights, sub-divided into types such as Ri-Khurid acquired by purchase and Ri-Nongtymmen ancestral land). Because most of the state was never cadastrally surveyed after the British era, formal village-level records-of-rights are limited; titles to Ri-Kynti land are recorded in a Record of Land Title Rights Register maintained by the Chief, the Dorbar and the clan under regulations of the Autonomous District Councils (Khasi Hills, Jaintia Hills and Garo Hills ADCs). Where land extent is recorded, it is expressed in metric units (hectare, are, square metre) and in acres rather than a distinct codified Meghalaya traditional unit, so this converter focuses on those standard units.
Legal Framework
- Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India — grants tribal areas of Meghalaya autonomy and vests overall management and control of land in the Autonomous District Councils (Khasi Hills, Jaintia Hills and Garo Hills ADCs).
- Meghalaya Transfer of Land (Regulation) Act, 1971 (Act 12 of 1972) — prohibits transfer of land from a tribal to a non-tribal, and from a non-tribal to another non-tribal, except with prior sanction of the competent authority.
- Meghalaya Land Survey and Records Preparation Act, 1980 — provides for cadastral survey and preparation of land records showing occupancy and possession of Ri-Kynti land.
- Khasi Hills Autonomous District (Regulation and Administration of Land) Act / Khasi Hills ADC land regulations — govern classification, allotment, occupation and the keeping of the Record of Land Title Rights Register for Ri-Kynti land.
- United Khasi-Jaintia Hills Autonomous District (Management and Control of Forests) Act, 1958 — regulates forest land categories within the autonomous district.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between Ri-Kynti and Ri-Raid land in Meghalaya?
Ri-Kynti is private or clan land held with property, heritable and transferable rights — it can be bought, inherited and sold subject to customary law and ADC rules. Ri-Raid is community land where no individual has ownership; people only hold rights of use and occupancy allotted by the village Dorbar, and it cannot be freely transferred.
Which units are used to measure land in Meghalaya?
Meghalaya land titles use standard metric units — hectare, are and square metre — along with the acre. There is no distinct codified Meghalaya traditional unit in the Government records, so this converter covers hectare, acre, square metre, are and square feet.
Who maintains land records in Meghalaya?
Under the Sixth Schedule, the Autonomous District Councils (Khasi Hills, Jaintia Hills and Garo Hills ADCs) oversee land. Titles to Ri-Kynti land are recorded by the Chief, the Dorbar and the clan in a Record of Land Title Rights Register, while the state Directorate of Land Records and Surveys works on survey and digitisation.
Can a non-tribal person buy land in Meghalaya?
Generally no. The Meghalaya Transfer of Land (Regulation) Act, 1971 prohibits transfer of land from a tribal to a non-tribal, and from one non-tribal to another, without prior sanction of the competent authority. Customary rights of clans and communities are strongly protected.
Does Meghalaya have a full cadastral survey and online land records?
Largely not. Most of Meghalaya has not been cadastrally surveyed since the British era (only a few Garo Hills villages were), so comprehensive records-of-rights do not yet exist statewide. Records are mostly maintained offline, with digitisation in progress under national land records modernisation programmes.
In what language are Meghalaya land records kept?
Land records and title registers in Meghalaya are maintained primarily in English, the working administrative language of the state, alongside local Khasi, Pnar or Garo terminology used in customary documents.
How do I convert acres to hectares for Meghalaya land?
One acre equals about 0.4047 hectare (4,046.86 square metres), and one hectare equals about 2.471 acres. Use the converter above to switch between hectare, acre, square metre, are and square feet for any extent recorded on a Meghalaya title.
