Staff Reporter
Guwahati: In a bid to protect and develop the xatras in Assam, state Revenue & Disaster Management Minister Keshab Mahanta introduced The Assam Satra Preservation and Development Commission Bill, 2025, on the floor of the Assembly today. While introducing the Bill, Minister Keshab Mahanta said that this Bill is part of the implementation of Clause 6 of the Assam Accord.
After this legislation is passed and enforced, the state government will constitute a quasi-judicial body named the Assam Preservation Satra and Development Commission. Before this, there was no such body to protest and develop the xatras.
According to the statement of objects and reasons of the Bill,
1. Assam’s xatras – the centres of Vaishnavite heritage – face encroachment, fragmented records and weak institutional coordination, impeding lawful protection, conservation and sustainable management of xatra lands and assets.
2. The Bill establishes the Assam Preservation Satra and Development Commission as a specialised, quasi-judicial body to protect, preserve, manage, maintain and regulate xatras and their lands; entertain appeals/petitions against orders of District Commissioners; undertake surveys/inspections and suo motu inquiries on encroachment; and recommend conservation measures for heritage structures and artefacts.
3. For effective adjudication and enforcement, the Commission is vested with powers of a civil court under the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 (for summons, discovery, affidavits, commissions, review, costs), may correct clerical errors, and exercises jurisdiction to the exclusion of civil courts on matters it is empowered to determine, with due process safeguards.
4. The Bill creates the Assam Satra Preservation and Development Fund (grants-in-aid, donations, income, fees/fines), mandates annual budgeting and reporting, and provides for audit by the Accountant General (Audit), Assam. Officials will be deployed on deputation to ensure functionality without creating a permanent establishment burden.
5. The state government may issue policy directions and assign additional duties; actions done in good faith are protected, and a limited power to remove difficulties is provided, consistent with the Act.
6. The Bill, therefore, creates a coherent, accountable and legally robust framework to preserve Assam’s Vaishnavite heritage, protect xatra lands from encroachment and misuse, and enable planned, culturally sensitive development in the public interest.
The proposed Commission will consist of the following members, namely:-
(i) The Chairperson, who shall be a retired Judge of a High Court, appointed by the state government;
(ii) The Director of Land Requisition, Acquisition and Reforms, Assam, who shall serve as the Member Secretary of the Commission;
(iii) Two members representing the xatra institutions, to be nominated by the government;
(iv) One retired civil servant, not below the rank of Secretary, with substantial experience in land administration, to be appointed by the state government.
Also Read: Assam Cabinet Approves Xatra Commission Bill 2025