Mission Basundhara in Assam: Has the Land Reform Drive Delivered for Landless?

Land in Assam has never been just a resource—it is identity, security, and survival. For decades, lakhs of landless families, tenant farmers, and indigenous communities have waited for a government that would finally grant them legal ownership of the land they cultivate and inhabit. When the Government of Assam launched Mission Basundhara in 2021, it was projected as a transformative initiative that would resolve long-pending land issues and secure land rights for the indigenous people.

But five years on, a fundamental question persists: has Mission Basundhara truly fulfilled the dreams of the landless, or has it merely restructured land administration without addressing their core concerns?

 “Through Mission Basundhara, the land rights of the indigenous people of Assam will be secured within the next five years,” Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had said while inaugurating the Mission Basundhara scheme on October 2, 2021.

At the launch, the Chief Minister announced that the survey of 672 non-surveyed villages would be completed by March 31, 2022. He also declared that already surveyed villages would undergo a resurvey to provide individual land pattas (titles) to each patta holder. Additionally, the government set a target to digitize land records for 18,789 villages across 27 districts, aiming for complete digitization of land-related documents by December 31, 2023.

Several other significant measures were announced:

• Simplification of land allotment for government projects, with powers delegated to District Deputy Commissioners.
• Directions to Deputy Commissioners to report the status of government land in their districts.
• A strict instruction that no land-related file should remain pending.

Budget Promises and Early Progress

Following the launch, the Assam Budget was presented in the Legislative Assembly on March 16, 2022. Key highlights under Mission Basundhara included:

• Over 8 lakh applications were received for nine services, of which 5 lakh were settled. The remaining were to be resolved before the government’s first anniversary.
• Polygon surveys of 664 non-cadastral villages were completed, with detailed digital surveys planned to grant property rights.
• Announcement of Mission Basundhara 2.0, aimed at improving revenue collection and enabling landowners to use land as collateral.
• Consideration of new Village Grazing Reserves (VGR) and Professional Grazing Reserves (PGR) to facilitate land rights for long-settled occupants.

Mission Basundhara 1.0: Digitisation Without Inclusion

Mission Basundhara 1.0 offered nine services, including mutation, partition, land reclassification, and conversion of Eksonia Patta (annual lease) to Myadi Patta (periodic lease).

While the initiative reduced the need for repeated visits to revenue offices by enabling online applications, it also created a digital divide. Many people unfamiliar with computers or smartphones had to pay intermediaries to access these services.

More importantly, the scheme failed to address the core issue: landlessness. It did not include provisions for:

• Granting land titles to the landless
• Regularizing long-term occupants of government land
• Providing ownership rights to tenants under the Assam Tenancy Act, 1971
• Addressing claims under laws related to land ceilings, zamindari abolition, or religious and charitable land

In essence, Mission Basundhara 1.0 focused on administrative efficiency, not land redistribution or justice.

Mission Basundhara 2.0: Expansion With Structural Gaps

Launched on November 14, 2022, Mission Basundhara 2.0 expanded services to include:

• Settlement of Khas and ceiling-surplus land for indigenous landless people
• Ownership rights for tenants
• Settlement of limited PGR/VGR land for homestead purposes
• Land allocation for coffee, rubber, and tribal hereditary lands
• Automatic mutation services

The government reported receiving over 13 lakh applications. It also claimed that 84% of beneficiaries belonged to ST, SC, OBC, and MOBC communities, with substantial land settlements in both Brahmaputra and Barak Valleys.

However, critical issues remain:

1. Undefined “Indigenous” Category

The Land Policy of 2019, which guided settlements, does not clearly define “indigenous people,” creating ambiguity in eligibility.

2. Burden Shifted to Applicants

Despite progressive provisions in the Assam Tenancy Act, 1971—especially Section 22, which mandates proactive government action—the scheme placed the entire burden on tenants to apply and produce documents.

Many tenants lack essential documents like Khatian due to:

• Absence of proper surveys
• Loss of records over decades due to floods and displacement

3. Financial Barriers

Conversion of Eksonia to Myadi Patta requires premium payments. Historically, such provisions existed since the 1950s, but most landholders could not afford them. The same issue persists today.

4. Restrictions on PGR/VGR Land

Applicants were limited to one bigha for homestead purposes, regardless of actual occupation. Additionally, requirements like pre-2011 administrative proof excluded many genuine claimants.

Mission Basundhara 3.0: Reform or Diversion?

Mission Basundhara 3.0 introduced services such as:

• Settlement of Bhoodan/Gramdan lands
• Ownership rights in urbanized former rural areas
• Simplified land reclassification
• Digitized conversion of Annual to Periodic Patta
• Conversion of Tea Grant land
• Land allotment for institutions
• Settlement under SVAMITVA

However, it largely ignored unresolved issues from previous phases. Instead, it emphasized:

• Easier land reclassification
• Market-oriented land policies
• Reduced regulatory barriers (e.g., removal of NOC with title guarantee)

This shift appears to prioritize land market efficiency over equitable land distribution.

A Missed Opportunity?

Mission Basundhara has undoubtedly modernized land administration in Assam. However, its impact on the most vulnerable sections remains deeply questionable.

It has largely failed to address:

• Tenant farmers deprived of ownership rights for decades
• Landless labourers residing on government land
• Beneficiaries under the Forest Rights Act, 2006
• Long-term occupants of acquired or ceiling-surplus land

By:

• Granting titles only to limited portions of occupied land
• Making ownership dependent on premium payments
• Prioritizing revenue generation through land policies

the scheme risks transforming land into a revenue instrument rather than a means of social justice.

In cities like Guwahati, many residents are reportedly required to pay lakhs of rupees to secure land titles—placing them beyond the reach of the poor.

This raises a fundamental question:
Can a policy driven by revenue considerations truly fulfill the dream of land rights for the landless?