Chapter I PRELIMINARY

Short title, extent, and commencement. - 1

1. (1) This Act may be called the Meghalaya State Investment Promotion & Facilitation Act, 2024.
2. (2) It extends to the whole of the State of Meghalaya.
3. (3) It shall come into force on the date of its publication in the Official Gazette.

Definitions. - In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires:

1. (i) "Appellate Authority" means an officer appointed by the Government by investing with the power to hear appeals against the orders passed by a Public Authority related to the delivery of service;
2. (ii) “Applicable laws” means Acts, Rules or Regulations pertaining to investment clearances, as may be prescribed from time to time;
3. (iii) "Applicant " means a person including an entrepreneur, who himself or on behalf of a legal entity, on being so authorized, makes an e- application for grant of requisite clearances or renewal thereof for setting up or operation of an industrial enterprise, a business or its

expansion / diversification or availing incentives under the State

Industrial Policy or sector specific policy;

1. (iv) "Application" means any application submitted by an applicant to avail the services scheduled under online UIP;
2. (v) "Authority" means Invest Meghalaya Authority;
3. (vi) “Clearance” means grant or issue of no-objection certificate, allotment, consents, approvals, permissions, registrations, enrolments, licenses, incentives and the like, by any Appropriate Authority in connection with the setting up of an enterprise in the State of Meghalaya and shall include all such permissions as are required under any applicable acts;
4. (vii) "Competent Authority" means any department or agency of the Government, Local Authority, Statutory Body, State Owned Corporation, Urban Local Bodies or any other authority or Agency constituted or established under any Act or under administrative control of the Government, which is entrusted with the powers and responsibilities to grant or issue clearances;
5. (viii) “Enterprise” means and includes an undertaking engaged in manufacturing and or processing or for providing service or doing any other business or any other commercial activity or a private industrial estate;
6. (ix) “Entrepreneur or Investor” means a person or body of persons or a company, having or proposing to have majority investment or controlling interest in an enterprise and who brings forth a proposal for investment;
7. (x) "Government" means Government of Meghalaya;
8. (xi) “In principle approval” means a general approval to an investment proposal by the Board for facilitation purposes only which shall be subject to clearances from the concerned Competent Authorities under the relevant State laws;
9. (xii) “Investment” means a fixed capital investment by an investor in

industry or service or infrastructure or commercial project and as

defined in the States Industrial Policy;

1. (xiii) "Local Authority" means District Industries Centre, Urban or Rural Local Body, Industrial parks, Municipal Boards, Meghalaya Urban Development Authority or any other authority constituted by law and includes development authorities;
2. (xiv) "Notification" means a notification published in Meghalaya Gazette, and the word "notified" to be construed accordingly;
3. (xv) “Offence” means any submission or omission made by any person or entity, knowingly or unknowingly, that is in violation of the provisions of this Act, or any rules, regulations, or guidelines issued thereunder. This includes, but is not limited to, providing false, incorrect, or misleading information; forging, altering, or falsifying any document or part of a document; or using any such forged, altered, or falsified document with the intent to deceive, mislead, or defraud the nodal agency for investment approval during any stage of the application process.
4. (xvi) "Person" shall include individuals or any company, or association or body of individuals, incorporated under relevant Acts of law;
5. (xvii) "Prescribed" means prescribed by Rules made under this Act; (xviii) "Service" means services, including functions, obligations, responsibility, or duty, to be provided or rendered by a public authority. This may include licenses, approvals, renewals, no- objection certificates, clearances, registrations, enrolments and the like, to be issued under various enactments in connection with the setting up of an industrial or service sector undertaking.
6. (xix) "Unified Investment Portal (hereinafter referred to as UIP)" means an online system to provide all clearances to the investors under this Act;