Assam temporarily halts NOCs for land sales between individuals of different religions

In a bid to forestall potential communal tensions during the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, the Assam government has announced a temporary suspension on granting No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for land sales involving individuals of different religious affiliations. The decision, effective for three months, comes in response to intelligence inputs highlighting fraudulent attempts at land transfers between religious communities.

Issued by the Revenue and Disaster Management (Registration) Department on March 7, the notification underscores concerns over vested interests exploiting such transactions to stoke communal conflicts. The move aims to maintain law and order during the electoral process, with Assam gearing up for polls across its 14 parliamentary constituencies in three phases.

The directive, signed by Gyanendra Dev Tripathi, the Principal Secretary to the Revenue Department, mandates the suspension of NOC grants under Section 21A of the Registration Act 1908 for land sales involving parties of different religious backgrounds. However, exceptions may be made at the discretion of District Commissioners, subject to the prior concurrence of the Inspector General of Registration, Assam, if deemed essential and unlikely to provoke legal or social unrest.

This development follows closely on the heels of the state's implementation of the third phase of Mission Basundhra, a program facilitating the conversion of government-owned land to 'myadi patta,' granting ownership rights to indigenous communities. The initiative requires applicants to establish multi-generational residency in Assam and uninterrupted land occupation for at least three years.

Controversy emerged earlier when All India United Democratic Front MLA Ashraful Hussain raised concerns in the Assam Assembly regarding the rejection of applications from Muslims under Mission Basundhara. In response, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma clarified that only indigenous individuals, defined as aboriginal tribes such as the Moran, Matak, and Chutia, are eligible under the mission, effectively excluding landless Bengali-origin Muslims, commonly referred to as 'Miya.'

Assam, with a significant Muslim population of 1.06 crores as per the 2011 Census, confronts complex demographic and identity dynamics, particularly in riverine regions where Bengali-origin Muslims are concentrated.