Assam: People under ST, SC, OBC categories received significant benefits of Mission Basundhra, says Himanta Biswa Sarma

Mission Basundhara 2.0, an initiative launched by Assam Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma, is a significant step towards addressing the land rights of indigenous people in Assam. The mission focuses on providing land pattas (land rights) to landowners or beneficiaries, with an emphasis on indigenous people who have been residing on the land for three generations.

The mission aims to streamline and expedite the process of updating land records, ensuring accelerated disposal of services sought by citizens, and fostering an environment conducive to ease of doing business within the land management ecosystem.

It includes a suite of eight digital services related to various aspects of land rights and management, such as settlement of government khas land, conferring ownership rights to occupancy tenants, and settlement of hereditary land of tribal communities, among others.

Chief Minister Sarma has highlighted the importance of legal documentation for land-holdings to prevent exploitation and socio-economic hardships for vulnerable populations. He also emphasized that no middle-men should interfere with the implementation of the mission, and that organized encroachers would not benefit from it.

The mission excludes char areas due to ecological reasons and takes a firm stance against encroachment, ensuring that only genuine indigenous residents benefit from the scheme.

The launch of Mission Basundhara 2.0 was described as a historic moment for the state, building upon the success of its predecessor, Mission Basundhara 1, which provided relief to over 6 lakh people with more than 8 lakh applications received.

The Chief Minister also introduced the National Generic Documents Registration System (NGDRS) and e-stamping facilities to further support land management services in Assam.

The mission broadly targets indigenous people who meet the criteria of having resided on the land for three generations, without explicitly mentioning these categories. The mission's overarching goal is to secure land rights for indigenous people and streamline land management processes in Assam.