GUWAHATI: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that if the revenue circle officers do not feel the pulse of the spirit with which the state government is working to protect the land rights of the indigenous people of Assam, then no power can save the Assamese.
“We’re at a critical juncture now, and hence we all need to work with dedication,” he said.
Speaking at a function on the launch of the e-chitha, escalation matrix, land valuation certificate portal, etc., CM Sarma added, “Through an e-chitha, a person can get the entire history of ownership of a plot of land. Through an e-chitha, people can verify if a plot of land is mutated through forgery or otherwise.”
On the escalation model that began in the Revenue Department, the chief minister stated that if a mandal does not do a piece of work within its stipulated time, the file will go automatically to the circle officer for disposal.
Likewise, if an ADC does not carry out a work within its stipulated time, the file will go to the district commissioner’s table automatically for disposal. He said that the state-level committee will monitor the running of the escalation model.
Henceforth, people do not have to go to the circle offices to know the zonal values of land, he said. They can now get to know about such information from the portal where it has been given. The purpose is to make all land-related matters transparent, he added.
He further said, “To ensure the land rights of the indigenous people of the state, the government has passed some bills and will introduce more such bills in the coming assembly sessions. We will identify some revenue circles and introduce the system of land selling and buying among people whose ancestors were living in these circles since 1951. The government will also take some measures to protect agricultural lands, and to make this happen, the government will conduct a survey of co-agricultural lands. We need to check the current system of reclassification of land to give permissions to set up brick kilns and other industries amid agricultural lands. Such industries damage crops. We will introduce a bill in this regard within six months.”
The chief minister asked the district commissioners to submit details of any iconic structures like mandirs, masjids, churches, etc., dating back to 250 years or beyond. “We’ll declare them iconic places and impose the restrictions on sale and purchase of lands within its 5-km radius,” he said.
On the lands of undivided Goalpara district, the chief minister said, “We will introduce the system of sales and purchase of lands among intracaste only—i.e., an OBC can sell his land only to an OBC. This system will follow in the case of STs and SCs as well.”
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