Assam CM Releases New Land Policy to 'Safeguard Indigenous People'

Guwahati, November 22, 2019:

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Friday released the new Land Policy 2019 in Guwahati yesterday.

The Land Policy was approved by Cabinet on 21st October, and it has been prepared by the Revenue and Disaster Management Department after 30 long years. It was last prepared in 1989.

Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said that the state government has given a lot of emphasis in preparing the Policy to safeguard the interest of the indigenous people.

He said, the Policy would remove complications regarding land allotments and settlements.

Over the last hundred years, the Assam Land and Revenue Regulation,1886 remained the basic laws of land in Assam.

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During the British rule the Government had to supplement the regulation by various pronouncements of Land Policies.

After the creation of a Governors province in 1921, these Land Policies particularly the issues relating to the opening up of the vacant tracts and settlement of land to various committees have engaged the Govt.’s attention.

During British rule, a systematic land settlement rule was adopted in 1870, and the settlement of land was to be made only on the basis of fixed principles.

The term of settlement of land held permanently was to be ordinary ten years with discretion to the Commission to make it for 15 years and the settlement was to be made with occupant cultivators.

Permanent holdings were heritable and transferable on the condition that transfers are registered. Since then various land policies were adopted in 1870, 1870, 1939, 1940, 1942 1943, 1945. After attainment of independence, various land policies had to be adopted by the Govt. in 1950, 1958, 1968, 1972 and 1989.

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