Assam has more than 580,000 landless families: Minister Jogen Mohan

Assam has more than 5.80 lakh landless families, and the present government has allotted pattas to over 1.35 lakh families, the state assembly was informed on Friday.

Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Jogen Mohan said that the government was in the process of clearing encroached land and also making allocations to landless families according to various laws and regulations.

Replying to questions by Independent legislator Akhil Gogoi, Mohan said there are 5,80,709 landless families in the state and they are allotted land in a phased manner as per the state's Land Policy of 2019.

He said eviction drives to clear encroached land are carried out according to the Assam Land and Revenue Regulations, 1886.

The minister dismissed an allegation that people belonging to a particular religion are taken into consideration while conducting these operations.

Altogether 1,36,140 families have been provided with land pattas since April 1, 2021, under the current regime in the state, he said.

In reply to a separate question by Congress MLA Abdul Batin Khandakar, Mohan said 432 villages have been completely washed away due to erosion since Independence.

Another 972 have been affected partially due to erosion during the same period, he said.

Since 2016, 18,784 families have been rendered homeless due to flood and erosion in the state, the minister added.