Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said families that have lived in the state for three generations would qualify as “original inhabitants” under the proposed Assam Land and Revenue Regulation Amendment Bill
Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on September 7 said families that have lived in the state for three generations would qualify as “original inhabitants” or Khilonjiya under the proposed Assam Land and Revenue Regulation Amendment Bill.
The Chief Minister said the provision was broadly in line with the spirit of Clause 6 of the Assam Accord, under which families residing in Assam before 1951 would generally fall within the definition.
Responding to concerns from members of the Kalita community over proposed protected areas around major cultural institutions, the Chief Minister said the core provision of the Bill had been misunderstood.
The proposed legislation seeks to protect land within a 5-km radius of historic Satras and cultural sites in Barpeta, Batadrava and Majuli. The Chief Minister said communities living in these areas, including Kalitas, Brahmins, Koch-Rajbongshis and Misings, would meet the three-generation residency requirement.
He added that Bengali-origin religious and linguistic minorities who settled in Assam before 1951 would also be treated as original inhabitants, in line with eligibility guidelines under Mission Basundhara.
The Chief Minister further said the Bill includes safeguards for the tea garden community. Members would retain protection as indigenous people even if they face difficulties proving three generations of residence. He said the provisions had been extensively debated in the Assam Legislative Assembly and left little scope for confusion over eligibility.
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