Assam Budget 2025-26: Task force, land tribunals proposed for Assam Accord implementation

Guwahati, March 11: Asserting that the State Budget 2025-26 proactively addresses fundamental concerns, including having an action plan for implementation of Clause 6 of the Assam Accord, Finance Minister Ajanta Neog on Monday announced a task force for suggesting suitable legislative provisions for setting up of Land Tribunals at the district level to deal with complaints regarding violation of the provisions of Chapter X of The Assam Land and Revenue Regulation, 1886.

Neog said that a Cabinet sub-committee is reviewing the implementation of the Assam Accord along with AASU and other stakeholders. "We shall implement the recommendations involving the Government of Assam in two years' time," Neog said. She said that regarding the setting up of Land Tribunals, the government shall place the Bill in the Assembly in September 2025.

She said that the government will strictly implement the Assam Official Languages Act, 1960, and necessary amendments would be considered for insertion of penal provision.

"The Government of Assam has examined the recommendations made by the high-level committee chaired by Justice Biplab Kumar Sharma on implementation of Clause 6 of Assam Accord and decided to implement the recommendations that fall within the purview of the State government," she said. The Finance Minister said that the government will "make the Assamese language compulsory in all English medium schools, both under the State Board and the CBSE in the Brahmaputra Valley, and in Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR), Assamese/Bodo shall be made compulsory, failing to which shall attract penal provision".

She said that in addition to tribal belts and blocks, the government will identify the revenue circles where only indigenous people can own and possess land and transfer of such land in these areas are limited to them alone.

Neog announced Rs 100 crore as a one-time grant to Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra to facilitate research work and adopt modern techniques for preservation and documentation work.

Dr Bhupen Hazarika Regional Government Film and Television Institute will be upgraded to degree level from the present diploma level institute within one year.

Multipurpose cultural complexes will be set up in all district headquarters under the name of Sahityarathi Lakshminath Bezbaroa Bhawan in three phases. Rs 240 crore has been earmarked in this Budget to cover 12 districts out of the total outlay of Rs 700 crore announced for 35 districts.

Separate Multipurpose Cultural Complexes will be set up for each tribe and ethnic communities in districts and co-districts, and Rs 5 crore will be given to each cultural complex. To start with, 20 such auditoria will be set up in 2025-26, and Rs 100 crore has been allocated for this purpose.

The government will upgrade the Guwahati District Library as per the recommendation of the high-level committee this year. Another multilingual Central Library will be set up for Assamese and other indigenous people of Assam.

The Zikirs and Zaris composed by Ajan Pir, the celebrated Sufi saint of Assam, will be translated into various indigenous languages of the State, and Anundoram Borooah Institute of Language Art and Culture (ABILAC) will carry forward this responsibility.

Funding to cultural institutions such as Jyoti Chitraban Film Society (JCFS), Dr Bhupen Hazarika Regional Government Film and Television Institute, and Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra will continue.

Neog also proposed Rs 50 crore in two instalments for Majuli Cultural University. A five-member Sattra Preservation and Development Board will be created with representatives from Sattra, judiciary, and land governance to protect Sattra land from encroachment and land grabbing.

Towards preservation of Madhupur Sattra in Cooch Behar, a project of Rs 50 crore has been conceptualized by the State government. The State government shall request the Centre to consider declaring it as a Heritage Site.

All government orders, including transfer and posting orders, scheme guidelines, office memoranda, rules, regulations, and notifications shall be issued in bilingual form from April 14, 2025, making Assamese language translation compulsory.

The Assam Council of Social Sciences Research (ACSSR) will be set up as a chapter of Sahitya Akademi in collaboration with various Sahitya Sabhas to promote Indic civilization studies, decolonize social sciences, and support interdisciplinary research.

An amount of Rs 50 crore in three financial years was announced for ABILAC for infrastructure upgrade and research activities.

Teachers will be appointed in colleges for teaching indigenous language subjects which have already been introduced by universities of the State. An Assamese language department will be opened on the main campus of Assam University at Silchar and in Tezpur University in the name of Sahityarathi Lakshminath Bezbaroa and Sahitya Kandari Padmanath Gohain Baruah, respectively, subject to approval of both the universities.

The government shall take steps to get the history of the Assamese people published. From April 2025, the subject of Assam History shall be made compulsory in all schools at least up to class 8.

The government will start survey of the char areas during 2025-26. However, settlement of any land will be taken up only after discussion with the stakeholders.

Neog said the State government has started the process for flagging the prime agricultural land in the digital land records and the work is likely to be completed within one year.

The government shall update all land records within March 2027 paving the way for introduction of title guarantee in Assam from April 2027.

On Mission Basundhara for allotment of pattas to indigenous people, she said the government will issue about five lakh digital pattas over the next three years.

Around 2,000 additional posts of land administration personnel will be created or filled up in the next three years, and the Assam Land Revenue Service (ALRS) will be revamped.

- By Staff Reporter