Mission Basundhara 4 soon, land pattas to cover all left-out families: CM Sarma

Guwahati, Feb 27: Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday said that the State government will soon launch the fourth phase of Mission Basundhara to cover all left-out beneficiaries, while indicating that the NDA’s seat-sharing arrangement in Assam is likely to be finalised by March 10.

Addressing a programme on land patta distribution under Mission Basundhara 3 in Dhemaji, the Chief Minister said the initiative has significantly transformed land governance and ensured legal rights to lakhs of families across the State.

“Mission Basundhara 3 has begun in Dhemaji, and through this phase, land pattas are being distributed to religious institutions, schools, colleges, music schools and educational centres. In addition, people living in non-cadastral villages are being brought under cadastral villages so that they can receive land rights,” Sarma said.

He stated that around two lakh people have benefited from the third phase of the scheme.

“Under Mission Basundhara 3, nearly two lakh people have received land pattas. If we combine Mission Basundhara 1, 2 and 3, the government has provided land pattas to nearly 10 lakh families. This is one of the most significant welfare initiatives of the Assam government,” he said.

The Chief Minister further announced that the next phase of the programme will be launched soon.

“We will soon start Mission Basundhara 4 to ensure that all left-out families receive land pattas. Our goal is to provide land rights and security to every eligible family in the State,” he added.

Speaking on political developments, Sarma said discussions on seat-sharing within the NDA are progressing.

“With the Bodoland People’s Front, discussions are almost finalised. Talks with the Rabha Joutho Sangram Samiti are also at an advanced stage, and with the Asom Gana Parishad, we expect to finalise the arrangement by March 10,” he said.

He stated that the alliance will take political feedback from the grassroots before announcing candidates.

“We will assess our strength in different constituencies and take feedback from the ground before finalising the candidate list,” Sarma said.

On the possibility of friendly contests, the Chief Minister indicated that the alliance partners may adopt a flexible approach in certain seats.

“If the BJP and AGP can arrive at a consensus, it will be beneficial for all. However, in some constituencies, if neither party is willing to leave the seat, we may consider friendly contests. The AGP has a strong organisation, and if some leaders do not get tickets, they may feel disappointed. In such cases, we have said that if alliance partners are unable to convince their workers, the BJP will not take it negatively and may allow friendly contests,” he added.