Assam Budget Draws Flak for Undermining Indigenous People's Land Rights

The Bhumi Adhikar Joutho Sangram Samiti has strongly criticized the Assam Budget presented on Monday, claiming that it facilitates the transfer of farmers' land to large corporations. According to the conveners Pranab Doley and Subrata Talukdar, the budget proposed by the Himanta Biswa Sarma-led Assam government paves the way for policies that prioritize corporate interests over the rights of local landowners.

The committee pointed out that the proposals for strengthening Assam’s industrial environment, land policy reforms, and developing Karbi Anglong, West Karbi Anglong, and Dima Hasao as renewable energy hubs are aimed at "handing over the land and resources of Assam’s working-class people to big businesses." 

The Bhumi Adhikar Sangram Samiti also raised concerns over the proposed township projects in Jagiroad and Palasbari, which are planned with financial assistance from the Asian Development Bank. "From whom will the government acquire land for these townships, and to whom will it be given? Certainly, the land will be taken from local farmers and handed over to large corporations like Adani and Ambani," they alleged. 

Expressing apprehension over land policy reforms, the committee warned, "The government’s move to relax rules for converting agricultural land into industrial land is alarming." Citing official data, they claimed that "in the last three years, 373 bighas of land in Palasbari alone have already been reclassified." They fear that further relaxation of regulations will accelerate this process, leading to a future where local people lose their land and Assam faces a food shortage.

The committee also criticized the plan to develop Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao as renewable energy hubs, noting that a large solar power project in Karbi Anglong has already triggered controversy by displacing "nearly 20,000 people from 18,000 bighas of land." The committee asserted, "We need renewable energy, but not through massive projects that threaten people's livelihoods and the environment. The government should instead focus on small-scale energy projects that do not endanger local communities."