Land Policy-2019: Landless to get 7 bighas for cultivation and 1 bigha for homestead

Dispur to modify Land Policy-2019

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI: The Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) has instructed the Revenue and Disaster Management (R&DM) Department to increase the maximum limit for settlement of land to landless individuals to seven bighas for agriculture purpose and one bigha for homestead purpose in rural areas in the State. According to the Land Policy-2019, the maximum limit of land for allotment to a landless individual is three bighas for agriculture purpose and half-a-bigha for homestead purpose.

The new Land Policy-2019 came into effect from November 2019 replacing the 30-year-old Land Policy-1989. The State government has taken the decision to increase the maximum limit for allotment of arable and homestead lands to landless people keeping an eye on the difficulties being face by the indigenous people of the State.

Since some government lands are under the occupation of certain indigenous people either for agriculture purposes (seven bighas) or for homestead purpose (one bigha), such land would have to be recovered from the indigenous occupants had the new Land Policy-2019 been followed. Taking that in view, a section of MLAs has requested the Chief Minister to allot seven bighas arable land and one bigha homestead land to landless people so as ensure indigenous people’s rights over land. Accepting to the proposal, the CMO issued the latest instruction.

According to the new Land Policy-2019, the land at the disposal of the government for ordinary cultivation may initially be given by way of allotment to indigenous landless cultivators. After three years of continuous physical possession by cultivating the land, the land may be settled with the allottees provided the land is found to have been used for the purpose for which it was allotted, the policy says. Such settlement shall be subject to realization of premium as fixed by the government from time to time.

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