Guwahati: With a view to protecting, managing, and regulating the state’s socio-cultural institutions, the Assam government has proposed setting up the Satra Preservation and Development Commission.
Presenting ‘The Assam Satra Preservation and Development Commission Bill, 2025’ in the Assembly, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Keshab Mahanta said that many ‘satras’, or Vaishnavite monasteries, continue to face encroachment, fragmented land records, and poor institutional coordination, all of which hinder their lawful protection and sustainable management.
The proposed commission or the quasi-judicial body will function as a specialised authority empowered to preserve, manage and regulate satras and their lands.
It will also hear appeals against district commissioners’ orders, conduct surveys and suo motu inquiries into encroachment, and recommend measures to conserve heritage structures and artefacts.
To ensure effective adjudication, the commission will be vested with civil court powers and will have exclusive jurisdiction over matters assigned to it under the Act. Officials will be appointed on deputation to maintain functionality without creating a permanent administrative burden, Mahanta said in the Statement of Objects and Reasons.
He added that the state government may issue policy directions, assign additional responsibilities, and extend protection for actions taken in good faith.
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Mahanta said the legislation seeks to create a coherent and legally robust framework to safeguard Assam’s Vaishnavite heritage, protect satra lands from encroachment and misuse, and promote planned, culturally sensitive development in the public interest.
