Assam: OBC, MOBC Applicants to be Treated as Indigenous Applicants under Mission Basundhara 3.0

Staff Reporter

Guwahati: OBC and MOBC communities, including the Koch-Rajbongshi community, will now be treated as indigenous applicants under Mission Basundhara 3.0. The in-principle decision by the state government was taken recently, and an official notification will be published shortly on the subject. The government is also examining whether the Moran and Matak communities can also be given indigenous applicant status.

Sources said that in the case of applicants for land settlement under Mission Basundhara, submission of three-generation domicile in the state was made mandatory. But the norms were relaxed for applicants belonging to ST, SC, Tea Tribe, ex-Tea Tribe, Adivasis, and Gorkha communities as indigenous applicants under Mission Basundhara 3.0, launched last month, without having to provide documents regarding their three-generation domicile in the state. Now, the policy decision of the state government will also exempt OBC and MOBC communities, including the Koch-Rajbongshi community, from the requirement of submitting documents relating to three generations of domicile in the state.

The state government launched Mission Basundhara 2.0 in 2022, during which most of the applicants belonging to ST, SC, Tea Tribe, ex-Tea Tribe, Adivasis, OBC, MOBC, and Gorkha communities did not get land settlement. The prime reason for rejection of their applications was the non-submission of a three-generation domicile document. This norm was a must in Mission Basundhara 2.0. This fact came to light when the government analysed the reasons behind rejection of the applications of a large number of applicants. And that led the government to treat them as indigenous applicants in Mission Basundhara 3.0 without having to submit three-generation domicile documents.

During the launch of Mission Basundhara 3.0, the Chief Minister made it clear that the applicants whose applications had been rejected during Mission Basundhara 2.0 should apply afresh so as to allow the government to review its earlier decisions for rejection.

Till date, the number of new applicants under Mission Basundhara 3.0 has reached 809. Moreover, 1974 applicants have applied for review of their submissions for land settlement made under Mission Basundhara 2.0.

Also Read: Mission Basundhara 3.0: A path to landrights and sustainable development in Assam

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