‘Most Secular’ Bill, Claims HimantaGuwahati: Assam assembly on Wednesday passed the Assam Land and Revenue Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2026, regulating land ownership and transactions within a protected zone of up to 5km around heritage and religious institutions that are at least 250 years old.The legislation permits “original inhabitants”, Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Scheduled Caste (SC) communities, and other specified categories to buy, sell and possess land within the protected areas. It seeks to prevent encroachment and preserve the socio-cultural and religious identity of historic institutions.The bill defines an “original inhabitant” as a person who, along with their family, had lived in the area for at least three generations as of January 1, 2006, with each generation counted as 25 years.It empowers the district commissioner concerned to evict unauthorised occupants from a protected heritage area, except those belonging to scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, indigenous ethnic communities and disadvantaged groups.CM Himanta Biswa Sarma described the legislation as the “most secular” bill, saying it was intended to safeguard the cultural character of areas surrounding iconic heritage institutions.“You may have thought that Muslims are not being allowed to go there while Hindus can. But no one will be allowed to go. Under this law, in Barpeta, Bardowa and Majuli, within a five-km radius, only people whose families have lived there for three generations will be able to buy or sell land from now on. Whether they are local Hindus or local Muslims is not something we are considering,” Sarma said.However, people from outside the protected zone will not be allowed to buy land there, irrespective of whether they are Hindu, Muslim, Christian or belong to any other community, the CM said. Existing landowners with valid pattas would retain their property and the right to reside within the zone, regardless of their religion or social category.According to its statement of objects and reasons, the bill amends the Assam Land and Revenue Regulation, 1886, to protect the land rights of Assam’s original inhabitants living around iconic heritage institutions.“It aims to regulate the land sale transaction in defined and notified areas around the notified iconic heritage institutions. This bill envisages to declare the geographical area within a limit not exceeding 5 kilometers in all directions surrounding the iconic heritage institutions as protected areas,” it states.
