In a significant decision aimed at granting land rights to thousands of residents, the Assam Cabinet, led by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, has decided to denotify three Proposed Reserve Forests (PRF) in the Tinsukia district. This move will allow over 20,000 villagers to apply for permanent land pattas.
The three PRFs to be reclassified as revenue villages are:
- Talpathar (170 hectares)
- Mohongpathar (466 hectares)
- 1st Addition to Duarmarah (113 hectares)
CM Sarma emphasized that many villagers had been living in these areas for years without land rights due to their designation as Protected Reserve Forests. The decision to convert these PRFs into revenue villages ensures these residents can finally secure legal ownership of their land. The chief minister hailed the decision as a crucial step in providing relief to people in distress.
Additional Key Cabinet Decisions
Apart from land reforms, the Assam Cabinet also approved several other major initiatives:
- Expansion of Apun Ghar Scheme:
- An additional home loan of Rs 15 lakh has been approved for 37,277 older state government employees under the Apun Ghar scheme.
- This addresses concerns from senior employees who previously felt excluded after the maximum loan amount was increased from Rs 15 lakh to Rs 30 lakh.
- Extension of Mission Basundhara 3.0 Application Timeline:
- The application timeline for the land-related scheme has been extended, providing more time for residents to avail of its benefits.
- Exemption from Three-Generation Domicile Policy:
- The Cabinet granted an exemption from the three-generation domicile rule for the Koch Rajbongshi, Moran, Matak, Chutia, and Ahom communities.
- This move will enable these communities to access services under Mission Basundhara 3.0 without facing domicile restrictions.
