Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday defended the Assam Land and Revenue Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2026, in the Legislative Assembly, stating that the proposed law is designed to preserve the cultural and historical legacy of the state’s centuries-old Vaishnavite satras by regulating land ownership in their surrounding areas.
Participating in the discussion on the bill, Sarma said the government has proposed establishing a five-kilometre protective buffer zone around selected heritage institutions, including Barpeta Satra, Majuli and Batadrava. Under the proposed legislation, land transactions within these notified zones would be permitted only for local residents.
The Chief Minister said the bill had been introduced in response to demographic changes around several heritage sites over the years, arguing that legal safeguards were necessary to protect Assam’s traditional religious and cultural institutions.
Referring to Barpeta Satra, Sarma said that if similar legislation had been enacted nearly five decades ago, much of the surrounding area could have retained its original character. He also stated that several mosques had come up within a five-kilometre radius of the historic satra over time, which, according to him, had raised concerns among local residents about preserving the institution’s heritage.
Maintaining that the proposed legislation was not targeted at any particular community, the Chief Minister said the government acknowledged demographic transformation as a reality but wanted to ensure the continued existence of the state’s remaining heritage institutions.
“We have nothing negative against anyone. We only want the remaining heritage institutions to survive,” Sarma said, while urging opposition members to extend unanimous support to the bill.
He further appealed for the legislation to be passed as a collective resolution of the entire Assembly, saying the protection of Assam’s cultural identity should transcend political divisions rather than depend solely on the ruling alliance’s numerical strength.
Clarifying the scope of the proposal, Sarma said the restrictions would apply only to a limited number of historically significant institutions, including Barpeta Satra, Batadrava and Majuli, and would not be enforced across the state.
Under the provisions of the bill, only local inhabitants would be allowed to purchase land within the notified five-kilometre zones. The proposed law also provides for the removal of illegal encroachments and requires prospective buyers to demonstrate that their families have lived in the area for at least three generations.
The proposed regulations would apply exclusively to religious institutions that are more than 250 years old.
