Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday said the Government of Assam has extended land rights to lakhs of indigenous families as part of its ongoing land reform initiatives, reiterating the administration’s commitment to safeguarding “Jati, Mati, Bheti” — a phrase that emphasises the protection of identity, land and homeland.
In a message posted on the social media platform X, the Chief Minister highlighted the progress made under Mission Basundhara, a flagship programme aimed at resolving land-related issues and granting ownership rights to eligible residents.
He said more than 2.3 lakh families have become landowners through the initiative, which seeks to streamline land records and provide legal land titles.
Sarma stated that the government has taken decisive action to reclaim land from illegal encroachments while ensuring that indigenous communities receive rightful ownership for the first time since Independence.
The chief minister also pointed to measures taken for the welfare of tea garden workers, noting that land pattas have been issued for tea estate line areas, benefitting around 35 lakh tea garden families.
The move is expected to provide long-awaited legal security to workers who have lived in tea estates for generations without formal ownership rights.
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According to Sarma, the state’s land reform efforts are designed to address long-standing challenges surrounding land ownership, improve economic security and empower communities that historically lacked legal recognition over the land they inhabit.
Reiterating the government’s stance on encroachment, he said land in the state must be preserved for its rightful inhabitants.
The chief minister emphasised that protecting land resources remains a key priority for the state administration.
Launched by the state government, Mission Basundhara is intended to simplify land governance by addressing issues such as settlement of land rights, correction of land records and distribution of land pattas to eligible families, particularly among indigenous communities and tea garden workers.
