GUWAHATI: A new land policy is in the anvil in Assam with Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal asking the state’s Revenue Department to implement the recommendations of the Committee on Protection of Land Rights of Indigenous People to protect their rights over land.
In order to facilitate protection of land rights of the indigenous people of Assam, the State government had constituted a high level committee in February last year. Led by former Chief Election Commissione, Hari Sankar Brahma the six-member committee on Protection travelled length and breadth of the state, discussed with all the stakeholders and formulated two reports that contained 180 recommendations including protection of land rights of the indigenous people.
Chief Minister Sonowal asked the Revenue Department to execute the recommendations of the reports prepared and submitted by the committee.
The reports submitted to the Assam government contained provisions of the Assam Land Revenue Regulation 1886, Land Ceiling Act, Land law, Protection of Tribal belt and Block, distribution of land pattas, land survey, protection of Wakf and Sattra land and several other recommendations.
Sonowal directed Revenue Department for immediate implementation of the recommendations like formulation of New Land Policy based on the Old Land Policy, resettlement of lands, distribution of land pattas, survey of land etc.
In a statement made here today, Chief Minister Sonowal said that ever since the new government has come to power it has been one of the priorities of the government to ensure land rights of the indigenous people and enable them enjoy the dignity of life in their own land. He also said that the indigenous people living in the state for several decades but do not have land in their name should get rights over the land and he asked the Revenue Department to do the needful to provide land pattas to them.