Cabinet's new SOP empowers DCs to vet inter-religion land transfers in Assam

Guwahati, Aug 27: The Assam Cabinet has approved a detailed Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for regulating inter-religion land transfers, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced during a press briefing post a Cabinet meeting.

Explaining the framework, the CM said that while land transactions between individuals of the same religion will continue without restrictions, inter-religion land transfers will undergo a rigorous verification process.

"Proposals will first be submitted to the Deputy Commissioner (DC), who will forward them to the Revenue Department for scrutiny by a designated nodal officer," said the Chief Minister. 

The files will be forwarded to the Police Special Branch, which will conduct a thorough investigation to determine whether the transfer was fraudulent, coerced, or illegal, assess the source of funds, and examine the social and security implications of the transaction, he continued.

“The Special Branch will also analyse if such a transfer has any adverse effect on the local social fabric or poses a national security concern. Their report will then be sent back to the DC, who will take the final call on whether to approve or decline the transaction,” Sarma explained.

The Chief Minister clarified that this SOP will also apply to NGOs from outside Assam seeking to purchase land in the state.

“Recently, we have observed NGOs from Kerala, belonging to a particular religion, attempting to buy land in areas such as Barak Valley and Karimganj. In Barpeta, large swathes of land have already been purchased. While they claim they want to set up educational institutions, the actual agenda can be different, and the police will probe these aspects,” he said.

Sarma, however, noted that the new SOP will not apply to Assam-registered NGOs.