Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Jerenga Pathar in Sivasagar on January 23 to distribute 1.06 lakh land pattas/allotment certificates.

"Taking into account an urgent need to protect the land rights of indigenous people of the State, Government of Assam came out with a comprehensive new Land Policy with a renewed emphasis on protecting the land rights of the indigenous people," an official release from the prime minister's office said.

The issuance of patta/allotment certificates for indigenous people of Assam has been given the highest priority to instill a sense of security amongst them, it said.

Assam had 5.75 lakh, landless families, in 2016. The present Government has distributed 2.28 lakhs land pattas/allotment certificates since May 2016.

In this connection, regional party Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) slammed the government condemning it said the entire event is being conducted to gain political mileage due to the upcoming elections

 "Allotment of land patta after prolonged land occupation is a natural process and we don't need a Prime Minister to carry out this regular administrative exercise, which otherwise is done by a mandal or a circle officer…The BJP has launched a propaganda of patta allotment to divert public attention. In reality, the present government has miserably failed in securing land rights of the indigenous people and no amount of propaganda can cover up this fact," AJP president Lurinjyoti Gogoi was quoted in an Assam Tribune report.