Assam Cabinet nod for streamlining inter-religious land transfer process

The Assam Cabinet on Wednesday (August 27, 2025) approved streamlining of the process to grant permission for land transfers between people belonging to different religions. The approval is aimed at ensuring more efficient processing and expeditious disposal of such proposals, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma told the media after the Cabinet meeting.

According to an official statement, the government would scrutinise all inter-religious land transfer applications.

The process entails submitting such applications to the District Commissioner, who would forward them to the Revenue Department. The designated nodal officer of the department would then transmit the application to the Special Branch of the Assam Police.

“The Special Branch would examine the proposal to identify any elements of fraud, coercion, or illegality, to verify the source of funds used for the purchase, assess potential implications for social cohesion, and safeguard national security. Thereafter, the proposal would be returned to the government, with the District Commissioner taking the final decision,” the statement read.

Mr. Sarma said the same procedure would be followed when NGOs from outside Assam seek to acquire land in the State for the establishment of educational or health institutions. Local NGOs have been exempted from going through this process.

The Cabinet approval is a follow-up of the State government’s March 2024 order that restricted the grant of no-objection certificates for sale of land between people belonging to different religions, specifically Hindus and Muslims, for three months.

Five months later, Mr. Sarma said a policy would be drawn up to make the Chief Minister’s approval mandatory for the transfer of land between Hindus and Muslims, while admitting the government cannot stop people belonging to different religions from selling land.

The Cabinet also approved the closure of the Assam Plantation Crops Development Corporation Ltd and corresponding financial sanction towards payment of VRS or one-time settlement and closure cost amounting to ₹6 crore.