Assam: AIUDF MLA moves bill for land rights in Brahmaputra's ‘riverine areas'

All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) MLA sought land rights in ‘char-chaporis’ (riverine areas) of the Brahmaputra and its tributaries for landless people. 

He claimed it will solve the dual problem of providing land for these people and also ensure the use of such areas for farming purposes. 

AIUDF legislator Aminul Islam moved 'The Assam Char-Chapori Land Regulation Bill, 2023' in the assembly as a private member’s bill, which he later withdrew. 

Islam said there are lakhs of families without land of their own, with more than 3,000 villages washed away by floods and erosion in the state. 

Also Read: Assam: More than 5.80 lakh families are landless in state, says Revenue Minister

“The government doesn’t have enough land to rehabilitate these families and they are forced to take shelter on embankments and forest areas. They are perpetually in fear of losing their hearth,” he said.

“On the other hand, a large number of ‘char-chaporis’ have formed in the Brahmaputra river and some of its tributaries over the years, on which these displaced people have been living for years. They are also engaging in agricultural activities in these areas,” the MLA said. If the erosion-affected and landless families are rehabilitated in the ‘char-chaporis’, it will ensure double benefit – the problem of landless people will be solved, and their agricultural produce will contribute to the state’s economic growth, the AIUDF legislator from Dhing maintained. 

Talking in support of Islam, his party MLA Ashraful Hussain said a survey of these areas should be conducted, as there are villages on such lands for over 50 years now. “The contribution of the people in the ‘chars’ has been immense to the state’s agricultural growth. The government should think above votes and help them,” he said. 

Meanwhile, BJP legislator Ganesh Limbu, speaking against the bill, said it could be hazardous to provide permanent rights in the ‘char-chaporis’, as most of these areas get flooded annually. 

Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Jogen Mohan, in his reply, said landless families are being allotted land as per various laws and regulations, like the state’s Land Policy of 2019. 

There are different measures for allotment and rehabilitation of erosion-hit and landless families, and proper implementation of these will ensure relief for all, he asserted. Following the minister’s assurances, Islam withdrew the bill.