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STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: It's surprising that even after a gap of seven months since formation of the Cabinet Sub-Committee; this three-member panel has failed to submit its report on the proposed amendment to the 'Assam Land and Revenue Regulation-1886'.
The committee was constituted to bring about protection of land rights of the indigenous people of the State. Since many clauses of the 1886 regulation have become irrelevant now, there is an urgent need to bring about amendments in this legislation of the British era.
Assam adopted the 'Land Policy-2019' on November 13, 2019. Against this backdrop, the recommendations of the three-member panel have become significant. Many clauses of this policy will have to be included in the 'Assam Land and Revenue Regulation-1886'.
Following the approval from Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, the Cabinet Sub-Committee was constituted on January 1, 2020. This panel headed by Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary also has Ministers Keshab Mahanta and Rihon Daimary as its members. According to the notification, the panel should have submitted its report within 15 days of its formation.
Mentionably, since independence, the Government of Assam has adopted four land policies — in 1958, 1968, 1972 and 1989 — to meet the requirements of the prevailing situations at the relevant time periods.
Though more than 30 years have elapsed since adoption of the 'Land Policy of 1989', a large number of land-settlement petitions are still pending.
Besides, regularization of the long occupations of government land with the landless indigenous persons could not be done effectively and satisfactorily.
Similarly, removal of encroachments from various types of government lands has been a challenging task for the officials concerned. Such encroachments are on the VGRs (Village Grazing Reserves), PGRs (Professional Grazing Reserves), other reserved lands, and also the xatra lands among others.