Assam Enacts Strict Land Rules Around Ancient Religious Sites

Guwahati: Assam has locked down land ownership near ancient heritage sites. The state legislature passed the Assam Land and Revenue Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2026, on July 29. The new law imposes a five-kilometre restriction on land deals surrounding any religious institution older than 250 years. Only local tribal members and those tied to the institutions can buy or sell property in these zones.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma pushed the bill to preserve cultural sites. He cited the Maa Kamakhya Temple as a prime example of the needed protection. "If any religious institution is more than 250 years old, then only people associated with that institution and local tribal communities within a five-kilometre radius will be able to buy and sell land," Sarma stated. The policy applies to all faiths.

Current owners are safe. The law does not retroactively seize property from those holding valid land pattas. Furthermore, families with three generations of residency dating back to January 1, 2006, get to stay put even without formal land documents. Future buyers must belong to specific groups: original inhabitants, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, indigenous ethnic groups, or disadvantaged communities.

The law explicitly defines original inhabitants as families present for three generations. Ethnic communities covered include the Moran, Motok, Chutia, Koch-Rajbongshi, and Ahom. District Commissioners now hold the power to evict unauthorized occupants, though they cannot remove those in the protected ethnic or disadvantaged categories. Sarma defended the move as a neutral effort to safeguard heritage, claiming it blocks both majorities and minorities from encroaching on sacred ground.