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Meghalaya has relaxed the minimum land requirements for large-scale urban development projects, in a move the government says will attract more investment, generate jobs and make better use of available city land.

The cabinet approved an amendment to the Meghalaya Building Bye Laws, 2021, specifically targeting the Special Projects category — a classification that covers hotels, hospitals, shopping malls, multiplexes, educational institutions, ICT and BPO centres, and other public institutions.

Until now, developers looking to build under this category needed a minimum plot size of 50,000 sq ft and a built-up area of at least 20,000 sq ft — thresholds that many urban landowners found difficult to meet.

Under the revised rules, the minimum plot size has been brought down to 37,500 sq ft, while the minimum built-up area has been reduced to 15,000 sq ft.

Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said the amendment would "enable more landowners to qualify under the Special Projects category, encourage multi-storey developments, boost investment, generate employment, and support more efficient use of urban land."

The change is seen as part of a broader effort to stimulate private investment in Meghalaya's urban centres, particularly Shillong, where demand for commercial and institutional infrastructure has been growing, but development has often been constrained by restrictive land-use rules.