Over 2,100 Land Title Certificates Distributed in Bishwanath Under the Forest Rights Act

Bishwanath: Assam's Health and Family Welfare, Irrigation, and Guardian Minister of Bishwanath district, Ashok Singhal, on Monday handed over land title certificates to 2,145 beneficiaries under the Forest Rights Act, 2006, in a significant move aimed at safeguarding the rights of the indigenous communities.

The land titles were distributed across 82 forest rights committees, with the breakdown as follows:

• 1,336 from Bishwanath constituency

• 157 from Gahpur

• 509 from Naduar

• 143 from Bihali

With this distribution, a total of 11,982 individuals in the district have received land titles so far. Speaking at the event, Minister Singhal emphasized the government's commitment to protecting the land rights and dignity of tribal and indigenous people, stating, “Today, no one can call them encroachers. The BJP-led government has restored rights and dignity to those who have long protected the forests.” He also highlighted the historical presence of the Bodo community in the region, recalling that the Ban Raja of undivided Sonitpur was a member of the Boro community. “People who have worshipped nature since ancient times cannot destroy it,” he added.

During the same visit, Minister Singhal also inaugurated the reconstructed Sakomatha Irrigation Scheme, revived at a cost of ₹3.30 crore. Originally launched in 1977-78, the scheme had failed but has now been revived to provide water access to 800 hectares of agricultural land annually.

Citing the impact of climate change on Assam’s water resources, Singhal said the government has shifted focus to reviving failed irrigation projects instead of starting new ones. He directed the District Commissioner to hold a joint meeting with the Irrigation and Agriculture Departments and called for the formation of a Water Users' Committee for effective scheme management. He also instructed officials to inspect the irrigation project every seven days and urged public cooperation to ensure the scheme’s long-term success.

The event was attended by MLAs Pramod Barthakur, Utpal Bora, Diganta Ghatwal, Zilla Parishad Chairperson Sunita Tanty, District Commissioner Simanta Kumar Das, SP Shubhashish Barua, and senior departmental officers.