Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday defended the Assam Land and Revenue Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2026, in the Assembly, saying the proposed legislation aims to protect the cultural and historical legacy of the state’s centuries-old Vaishnavite satras by regulating land ownership around them.
Participating in the discussion on the bill, Sarma said the government has proposed creating a five-kilometre protective zone around select heritage institutions, including Barpeta Satra, Batadrava and Majuli. Within these notified areas, land transactions would be permitted only for local residents, he said.
The Chief Minister argued that the proposal has become necessary in view of demographic changes around several heritage sites over the years, adding that legal safeguards are needed to preserve Assam’s traditional religious and cultural institutions.
Citing Barpeta Satra as an example, Sarma said that if similar legal protections had been introduced nearly five decades ago, much of the surrounding area could have retained its original character. He also said several mosques have come up within a five-kilometre radius of the historic satra over the years, which, according to him, has raised concerns among local residents over the preservation of its heritage.
Emphasising that the proposed legislation is not aimed at any particular community, Sarma said the government acknowledges demographic changes but believes steps must be taken to protect the state’s remaining heritage institutions.
“We have nothing negative against anyone. We only want the remaining heritage institutions to survive,” the Chief Minister said while urging members across party lines to support the bill unanimously.
He appealed to the Opposition to treat the legislation as a collective commitment to safeguarding Assam’s cultural identity rather than as a measure backed solely by the ruling alliance’s majority.
Clarifying the scope of the bill, Sarma said the proposed restrictions would apply only to a limited number of historically significant religious institutions, including Barpeta Satra, Batadrava and Majuli, and would not extend across the state.
Under the proposed legislation, only local inhabitants would be allowed to purchase land within the notified five-kilometre zones. The bill also provides for the eviction of illegal encroachments and requires prospective buyers to demonstrate that their families have lived in the area for at least three generations.
The proposed safeguards are intended to apply only to religious institutions that are more than 250 years old.