Particle.news
Download on the App Store
16 ARTICLES
·
last mo.

Assam Approves SOP Requiring Police Vetting of Inter-Religion Land Deals

The policy routes such sales through Assam Police’s Special Branch for checks on coercion, funding sources, social cohesion or national security before district authorities decide.

Image
Image
Guwahati: Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma addresses a press conference after the cabinet meeting at Lok Sewa Bhawan, Aug. 27 (PTI)
Assam Cabinet

Overview

  • Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the cabinet cleared the SOP on August 27 to regulate land transfers between people of different religions.
  • Applications move from local revenue officials to the Deputy Commissioner, then to a Revenue Department nodal officer, and finally to the Assam Police Special Branch for examination.
  • The Special Branch reviews possible fraud or coercion, verifies the buyer’s funds, and assesses potential social or security implications before sending inputs back for a district-level decision.
  • Same-religion transactions are not subject to the new checks, and NGOs registered in Assam are exempt, while NGOs from outside the state will face the same scrutiny when buying land.
  • Sarma cited recent purchases or interest by Kerala-based NGOs in districts such as Barpeta, Sribhumi and parts of Barak Valley as a trigger for the move, and the state BJP publicly endorsed the decision.