Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced that his government is taking proactive measures to safeguard satras (Vaishnavite monasteries) and other cultural and spiritual institutions from encroachment. He emphasized the creation of designated belts and blocks for this purpose, ensuring their protection. Sarma also affirmed the commitment of the Assam government to uphold the land rights of all citizens across the state.
Furthermore, he disclosed plans to issue land deeds (pattas) to religious institutions, educational establishments, and Anganwadi centers under the Mission Basundhara 3.0 initiative. Himanta Biswa Sarma articulated this during a gathering in Dhola, Tinsukia district, where land deeds were being distributed to beneficiaries of Mission Basundhara 2.0. He assured that all deserving beneficiaries would receive such deeds by 2026, aiming to prevent any citizen from being deprived of their rightful landholdings.
Sarma’s engagements extended to Sadiya and Doom Dooma in Tinsukia district, where similar initiatives were undertaken. Notably, around 12,000 and 7,000 beneficiaries of Mission Basundhara 2.0 were identified within Sadiya and Doom Dooma LACs, respectively. He inaugurated and laid foundation stones for projects totaling Rs 116 crore for Sadiya LAC and Rs 80 crore for Doom Dooma LAC, focusing on infrastructural development and community facilities.
Projects included the improvement and upgradation of roads, community halls, skill centres, and water supply systems. Sarma reassured the populace that issues faced during Mission Basundhara 2.0 would be addressed in the forthcoming Mission Basundhara 3.0, which will particularly simplify the process for indigenous landless individuals to acquire land rights.
The CM underscored the government’s commitment to providing land deeds to socio-cultural institutions alongside individual land rights. He emphasized the advantages of digital land deeds, highlighting their accessibility through digital platforms such as DigiLocker.
Himanta Biswa Sarma also outlined the government’s broader efforts towards socio-economic development, citing initiatives like Orunodoi, microfinance loan waivers, health insurance, and transparency in government jobs. He stressed the importance of extending benefits like Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana and Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat to Orunodoi beneficiaries.
Moreover, Sarma addressed the longstanding land documentation challenges faced by indigenous populations, which led to the inception of Mission Basundhara. He reiterated the government’s initiatives aimed at the socio-economic upliftment of tea-growing tribal communities, including wage increases for tea garden labourers and reservations in government services for youths from these communities.
