GUWAHATI: The Assam Cabinet’s approval of an ordinance permitting micro, small and medium enterprises to set up plants in agriculture lands by only submitting a self declaration has raised concern among certain quarters.
Leader of Opposition at the Assam Legislative Assembly, Debabrata Saikia demanded that the decision be revoked claiming that the move would be detrimental to the interests of the indigenous people.
“During the agitation against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) last December, the Cabinet had claimed to bring laws to safeguard the land rights of the indigenous people of the state. However, this proposed ordinance contradicts that claim,” Saikia said.
The Opposition leader further said the economic status of the farmers would be adversely affected if farm lands were opened to industries for establishing manufacturing plants.
“The proposal also contradicts the pre-election promises of the ruling party,” he said, while appealing to the legislators of the government to oppose the decision.
Convenor of Prabajan Virodhi Manch, an anti-influx forum, Upamanyu Hazarika, also questioned the ordinance, saying that it would sound the death knell for not only agriculturalists but as many as 115 small indigenous ethnic communities of Assam.
“For a government which came to power on the slogan of “jati, mati, bheti” (protection of indigenous rights and land), not only has it failed but taken proactive steps, as in the present policy, to destroy indigenous identity,” Hazarika alleged.
“This pernicious opening up land for non-agriculture use is in clear violation of the Assam Agricultural Land (Regulation of Re-classification and Transfer for non-agricultural purpose) Act, 2015, which protects agriculture land from non-agriculture use through various prohibitions and restrictions. How has the situation changed in the last five years that a U-turn is necessary?” he asked.