892 Forest Land Rights Titles Distributed in Kamrup, Total Reaches 6,427 Under Forest Rights Act

Land rights titles were distributed to 892 beneficiaries under the Forest Rights Act, 2006, at Shanti Nijora Club in Bamunigaon, Kamrup district, on Thursday, in a ceremony presided over by Tribal Affairs Minister Dr Ranoj Pegu.

The distribution covered 862 individuals and 30 Societies from Bondapara, Singra, and Bamunigaon under the West Kamrup Forest Division, and Rani and Lakhra under the East Kamrup Forest Division.

Kamrup Deputy Commissioner Deba Kumar Mishra said that with this distribution, a total of 6,427 individuals in Kamrup district have now been granted land rights under the Act, facilitated jointly by the district administration and the Tribal Affairs Department. He noted that Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma had earlier distributed 5,000 land titles at Pantan in Chaygaon.

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Addressing the gathering, Dr Pegu pointed out that despite the Forest Rights Act being enacted in 2006, residents of Kamrup district only began receiving its benefits in recent years — highlighting a significant gap in implementation that the current government has been working to address.

He also expressed concern over the degradation of forests in districts like Dhubri and Goalpara due to encroachment, and stressed that the survival of forest areas depends on the indigenous communities residing within them.

Dr Pegu elaborated on the Act's provisions, explaining the categories of people eligible for land titles. He highlighted that under the amended Clauses 12 and 13 of the Act, land rights may be granted even without documentary evidence — based on oral testimony, physical proof, and resolutions passed by village councils.