Dispur: The Assam government has restricted the granting of no objection certificates (NOCs) for land sales between individuals of different religions for three months.
A March 7 notification issued by the Revenue and Disaster Management (Registration) Department cites intelligence agency inputs on fraudulent attempts to transfer land among religious communities. The measure aims to prevent communal conflicts during the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
The notification, signed by Gyanendra Dev Tripathi, Principal Secretary to the Revenue Department, directs the suspension of NOC cases for land sales involving people of different religions for three months from the notification date. Exceptions require District Commissioner approval, with concurrence from the Inspector General of Registration, Assam.
This decision follows the recent launch of the third phase of Mission Basundhara, a service converting government-owned land to ‘myadi patta’ for indigenous community members. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma clarified that Bengali-origin Muslims, termed ‘Miya’, are not eligible under this mission due to non-indigenous status.
The 2011 Census indicates Assam has 1.06 crore Muslims, comprising 34.22% of the state’s population, mostly Bengali-origin Muslims residing in riverine areas. Mission Basundhara commenced on May 8, 2022.
