GUWAHATI, Aug 27: The Assam Cabinet on Wednesday approved a Special Operating Procedure (SOP) to scrutinise applications for land transfer between persons of different religions for examining several angles, including national security, before final permission is granted, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said here.
According to the SOP, the Special Branch of the Assam Police will examine whether the transfer of land involves any fraudulent or illegal act, the source of funding of the buyers, impact on the social fabric of the locality where the land exists, and also the issue of national security, the CM said at a media briefing after the Cabinet meeting.
‘If the proposal is received from buyers and sellers of the same religion, the SOP will not be applicable to them. But in the case of those from different religions, all these factors will be strictly examined,’ Sarma said.
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The same SOP will also be applicable to NGOs from outside planning to buy land in the state for setting up educational and healthcare institutions, he said.
‘In a sensitive state like Assam, the issue of land transfer needs to be handled very carefully,’ he said.
Some NGOs from Kerala have already bought land in Barpeta district, while some others are trying to buy huge tracts of land in Cachar and Sribhumi districts in Barak Valley, Sarmah claimed.
The Cabinet has approved streamlining the procedure for granting permission in cases of transfer of immovable property between persons of different religions, with the aim of ensuring more efficient processing and expeditious disposal of such proposals, he said.
‘All applications for land transfer of this nature would be submitted to the government, which would exercise scrutiny over each case,’ he said.
The district commissioner concerned would forward the proposal to the Revenue Department.
The designated nodal officer within that Department would then transmit it to the Special Branch of the Assam Police, where officials would examine the proposal to identify any elements of fraud, coercion, or illegality, to verify the source of funds used for the purchase, assess potential implications for social cohesion, and safeguard national security, he said.
Thereafter, the proposal would be returned to the government, with the district commissioner taking the final decision.
The Cabinet also gave its nod to projects with private investment of Rs 969 crore which would likely create 2,704 employment opportunities.
The projects include Ambuja Neotia Healthcare Venture Limited’s hospital project with an investment of Rs 302.65 crore, in addition to Ambuja Neotia Hotel Ventures Limited’s Rs 360 crore hospitality project.
The others include Premier Cryogenics Limited’s investment of Rs 125 crore for setting up a high-purity semiconductor-grade gas manufacturing plant at Jagiroad, which is expected to generate employment for 200 people and Jonali Construction Private Limited’s investment of Rs 182.17 crore in tourism and hospitality services related to the Marriott Resort and SPA project, with the potential to create 204 jobs.
The Cabinet also approved the closure of the Assam Plantation Crops Development Corporation Ltd and corresponding financial sanction towards payment of VRS/one-time settlement and closure cost amounting to Rs 600 lakh. (PTI)
