Mission Basundhara 3.0 Assam’s Push for Indigenous Land Rights

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma officially launched Mission Basundhara 3.0 at an event held at Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra in Guwahati. This ambitious initiative is designed to empower indigenous communities by providing them with formal land rights, ensuring greater security and recognition of their holdings.

Event Overview

• Date : October 20, 2024
• Location : Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra, Guwahati, Assam
• Initiative : Mission Basundhara 3.0
• Aim : To provide land rights to indigenous people of Assam

Chief Minister’s Remarks

• CM Himanta Biswa Sarma emphasized the government’s commitment to granting land rights to indigenous communities, an effort undertaken after 75 years of independence.
• He noted that Mission Basundhara was launched on October 2, 2021, with the vision of providing land rights.

Success of Previous Missions

• Under Mission Basundhara 1.0, the state government disposed of eight lakh applications in nine months.
• The second edition, Mission Basundhara 2.0, launched in November 2022, granted land rights to over two lakh indigenous people within one year.

Objectives 

• To expedite land ownership allotment to priority groups and enhance transparency in land-related services.
• To safeguard land rights and identity for the people of Assam.

Eligibility Criteria

Three-generation ancestry is required for land rights, except for,

• Scheduled Castes (SC)
• Scheduled Tribes (ST)
• Tea Tribes
• Gorkhas, who are recognized as “sons of the soil.”

Land Premium Rates

• Reduction of the premium rate to 3% of zonal valuation for urban dwellers.

Proposed Land Reforms and Services

• Introduction of unprecedented land reforms.
• Issuance of Land Passbooks to all landholders.
• Strengthening the resolve of ‘Jati, Mati, and Bheti’ (identity, land, and base).

Features of Mission Basundhara 3.0

• Review of Pending Cases : Enable review of cases from Mission Basundhara 2.0 pending clarification.
• Digitization : End-to-end digitization of annual and periodic pattas.
• Tea Grant Land Conversion : One-time conversion of tea grant land to periodic patta.
• Settlement of Bhoodan/Gramland : Addressing the settlement of erstwhile Bhoodan and Gramland.
• Mapping and Rules : Steps to digitize land-related services and publish maps for public benefit, along with implementing new rules to simplify land rights processes.

Additional Initiatives Launched

Project Closed User Group (CUG)

• A special mobile number series for officials in the Revenue and Disaster Management Department to enhance communication during emergencies.

Revenue Department’s Digidoc

• A digital directory for non-registrable and optional registrable documents aimed at streamlining services and improving public accessibility.

Financial Grants

• CM Sarma announced financial grants of Rs 1 lakh each for digital upgradation of Mouzadar offices across Assam.

Attendance 

• Revenue Minister Jogen Mohan
• Handloom and Textile Minister UG Brahma
• Power Minister Nandita Gorlosa
• Chief Secretary Ravi Kota
• DGP GP Singh
• Other senior government officials and dignitaries.