Assam Cabinet Announces Plans for Basundhara 3.0 with Relaxed Rules for Land Reforms

The Assam Cabinet on Tuesday expressed its gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for recognizing Assamese as a classical language. Addressing the media, Assam Minister Keshab Mahanta outlined key decisions made during the Cabinet meeting, including plans for the much-anticipated Basundhara 3.0 land reform scheme, which Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma is set to inaugurate on October 19.

Under Basundhara 3.0, those whose applications were previously rejected will have the opportunity to reapply, with the government relaxing many of the rules compared to earlier phases. A significant change is the decision to issue Periodic Patta (land ownership rights) instead of Annual Patta across the state, a move that is expected to benefit a large number of eligible urban occupiers. The Cabinet also announced that land rights would be granted to farmers cultivating rubber and coffee. However, a premium of ₹5,000 per bigha will need to be paid by the farmers to secure these rights.

The scheme follows the successful launch of Basundhara 2.0 on November 14, 2022, where 85% of the beneficiaries were from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. In a further easing of regulations, the Cabinet approved the distribution of land rights to people occupying tea land before 2022.

Additionally, the Cabinet revealed that 1,052 villages in Assam are yet to be surveyed. Of these, 861 surveys have commenced, with another 30 villages expected to be included soon. A new digital system for land and house rent documentation will also be introduced to streamline land-related processes.

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