Assam to begin first statewide land resurvey: Himanta Biswa Sarma
Guwahati, Aug 1
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has said that the state government will launch "Mission Basundhara 4" on December 25, under which Assam will undertake its first systematic land resurvey since the 1960s, covering around 18,000 villages over the next four years using modern Global Navigation Satellite System technology.
Sharing details in a post on social media platform X on Friday, the Chief Minister added that land reforms remain central to the government's vision of protecting the state's "Jati, Mati and Bheti" (identity, land and heritage).
Chief Minister Sarma said that he held a detailed review meeting with senior officials on three major initiatives -- Project JORIP, Project ASOM and Project MATI -- which will form the foundation of Mission Basundhara 4.
According to the Chief Minister, the mission will modernise Assam's land administration through scientific surveys, digitisation and technology-driven governance to ensure greater transparency and accuracy in land records.
He said the state-wide resurvey will be the first comprehensive exercise of its kind in more than six decades and will use advanced GNSS technology to ensure that official land records accurately reflect ground realities.
The exercise will cover nearly 18,000 villages across Assam over a four-year period and is expected to address long-pending discrepancies in land ownership records.
Besides the resurvey, the state government plans to achieve complete digitisation of land records as part of the mission.
Chief Minister Sarma said the initiative would also introduce a scientific, Geographic Information System (GIS)-based land valuation mechanism aimed at bringing greater uniformity and transparency to property valuation.
The Chief Minister added that the state government intends to simplify land registration services by adopting a citizen-centric approach that would make property transactions faster, more transparent and reliable.
Mission Basundhara has been one of the Assam government's flagship land governance initiatives, focusing on resolving land-related issues through technology-enabled reforms and streamlined public services.
The proposed fourth phase is expected to significantly strengthen land administration by integrating modern surveying techniques, digital records and simplified registration procedures across the state.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Good initiative by CM Himanta ji. But 4 years for 18,000 villages seems ambitious. I hope they have enough trained manpower and the technology doesn't fail in remote areas. Also, this will directly benefit the indigenous communities of Assam who have been fighting for their land rights. Let's see how it unfolds on the ground.
This is exactly what Assam needs! Land records in our villages are a mess - the map doesn't match the ground and nobody trusts the system. With GIS-based valuation, property transactions will become transparent. The "Jati, Mati, Bheti" vision is spot on - protecting our land and identity starts with knowing what's actually ours. 💪
Watching from the US and this sounds like a solid governance reform. Modern technology for land surveys is long overdue in India. The transparency angle is key - corrupt land deals have robbed too many people of their property. Hope the state government also has a robust grievance redressal system in place for those whose claims might be affected.
As an Assamese woman, I really hope this resurvey addresses the issue of women's land rights too. In our state, daughters often get left out of property records. A scientific survey should also ensure equal ownership. Also, hope the "citizen-centric approach" means simpler processes for women and elderly to register land without harassment.
There is going to be a lot of resistance at the ground level. Land mafias in Assam are powerful, and they will try to sabotage this. The government needs to ensure that grassroots-level officials are not bribed
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