Land rights given in Sadia tribal belts in Tinsukia

 Decades-long issue solved: Revenue Minister

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The Ahom, Moran, Mattock, Chutia and Gorkha families residing in Sadia tribal belts in Tinsukia are set to get land rights.

Most of the areas in Sadia are tribal belts. Despite their almost century-old habitation in the tribal belts in Sadia, these five communities don't have land rights since they don't belong to the 'protected classes'. Even before the declaration of 'tribal belts' in 1951 in Sadia, the members of these five communities were living there. After the declaration of the tribal belts in Sadia, the people belonging to these five communities got trapped in a precarious situation, without getting rights over their lands as they are not 'protected classes'. However, the government has decided to treat the Ahom, Moran, Mattock, Chutia and the Gorkha of Sadia tribal belts as 'protected classes' and give them rights over land in the Sadia tribal belts.

Talking to The Sentinel, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Jogen Mohan said, "At last, the government has solved a decades-old issue concerning the tribal belts in Sadia pending since 1951. It's a big decision. Even though most of these five communities are indigenous people, they don't get land rights in the tribal belts in Sadia. Following a nod from Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and his Cabinet, the government has decided to treat the Ahom, Moran, Mattock, Chutia and the Gorkhas as 'protected classes' in the Sadia tribal belts. This move will pave the way for their land settlement.

"The government will officially announce the decision within a day or two. After the notification, the decision will enter the implementation stage." The minister said that the State government is committed to providing land rights to the landless indigenous people of the State. "The decision taken on the Sadia tribal belts is part of the greater scheme of things towards that end," he added.

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