Mission Basundhara: A way forward in resolving land disputes

Dwina Barbaruah

(dwinakashyap@gmail.com)

With staggering numbers of land-related cases remaining unresolved for years together subjecting the citizens to undergo harassment, the Government of Assam launched Mission Basundhara on October 2 this year coinciding with the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. The mission was launched by Chief Minister of Assam Himanta Biswa Sarma in a bid to streamline, resolve and make land revenue services more accessible to citizens.

'Mission Basundhara' envisages reducing the pendency in updation of land records through a mission mode and creating an ease of doing business environment in the land management ecosystem.

The Mission strives for total digitization of maps and integration of maps and lands records of Assam under the Digital India Land Records Modernization Programme leading to accurate synchronized real-time land records.

The three components of the mission are purification of land records in a mission mode; polygon survey of yet to be surveyed 672 non-cadastral villages will be completed by 31st March 2022 and re-survey of 18,789 cadastral villages of 27 districts using hybrid methodology by 31st December 2023.

The programme envisioned at a budget of Rs 225 crore will purify and update land records in a mission mode by providing nine services online — mutation by right of inheritance, mutation after deed registration, the partition of undisputed cases, annual patta to periodic patta conversion, reclassification of land, striking names of persons who are no longer in possession under Rule 116, ALRR, 1886, allotment certificate to periodic patta, legacy data updation/rectification and mobile number update of Pattadar.

Minister for Revenue and Disaster Management, Jogen Mohan, whose department is spearheading the implementation of the mission said the polygon survey of NC villages will pave the way for granting land rights to indigenous landless people inhabiting these villages according to the Land Policy, 2019. He said the re-survey of all cadastral villages will lead to the clearing of titles. The response to the mission has been tremendous with over 7.91 lakh people applying online. Following public demand, the government extended the time limit by a week to 7th December at midnight.

Meanwhile, more than 1 lakh applications have been disposed of in a record period. Chief Minister Sarma has appreciated the diligent efforts of the Circle Officers. However, there is no room for complacency, as there are still miles to go in settling the remaining 6.91 lakh land-related cases by May 2022. The success of the entire mission hinges on the Circle Officers who will have to work relentlessly to ensure delivery of services by 10th May 2022 - the day on which the government will complete its first year in office. The Deputy Commissioners and the Additional Deputy Commissioners in charge of Revenue have to constantly monitor the progress of the mission.

One of the most crucial underlying themes that have been at the root cause of violence and ethnic strife in the region has been the "ownership of the land". The history of ethnic strife dates back at least to a century, rooted in old issues of land, forest resources associated with it, perceived encroachments, and ethnic differences. The long-standing inter-state borders dispute predominantly have their origins in the hurried demarcation and carving out of states like Nagaland, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, and Mizoram from the undivided Assam.

Assam in particular and the Northeast as a whole has been grappling with for several decades together is the systematic encroachments of lands illegally by immigrants from a neighbouring country. This has resulted in tens of thousands of indigenous people in the state becoming landless.

A startling fact that emerged from a recent report is that out of a 3.4 crore population, a whopping 90 per cent of Assam's indigenous people did not possess permanent land ownership documents or land pattas, and as many as 8 lakh indigenous families are landless. It is against this backdrop, Mission Basundhara is indeed a laudable attempt to address the land-related issues that have time and again cropped up resulting in loss of precious lives and livelihoods.

The present dispensation, which came to power on the plank of giving land rights to indigenous people, has been very objective about the avowed goals it wants to achieve with this mission. Securing the land rights of indigenous people who have lost their land due to illegal encroachments and ensuring that the most disadvantaged sections of society get their land-related work done sans the involvement of middlemen are the driving forces behind the programme. The mission reduces unnecessary visits to government offices while empowering the public to resolve land-related issues online in a hassle-free manner. One can track the status of his or her application online by entering the mobile number or application ID. You will get an SMS once the service is delivered. That is not all. An applicant can lodge grievances and track status related to service delivery.

Mission Basundhara can also play a pivotal role in promoting peace, justice, and institutional mechanism in the state (SDG16). The survey of non-cadastral villages shall not only enable the state to grant land rights to landless indigenous people but also in identifying lands illegally encroached upon by illegal immigrants, thus bringing an end to years of conflict and ushering in durable peace and stability, so vital for the region to catch up with the rest of the country in terms of development.

Moreover, digitization of maps shall ascertain clarity in disputed interstate land borders. Over and above all this, digitization of services will drastically bring down corruption in the circle offices across the state. Towards this end, the government has taken firm steps to eliminate middlemen from the system and arrested over 700 land brokers in a single day, thus exhibiting its zero-tolerance policy towards corruption.

Apart from directly impacting SDG 16, the programme can also significantly contribute across SDG1—End Poverty—and SDG2—No Hunger, respectively by granting land rights to landless indigenous people. Quite aptly summed up by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma that the mission is an opportunity for all civil service officers to set an example of public service for generations to come.