The Assam Meeting handed amendments to 2 land-related legal guidelines, together with one coping with reclassification of agricultural land, on the final day of the Autumn session on Friday. Income Minister Jogen Mohan moved each the payments for consideration and passing within the Home.
‘The Assam Fixation of Ceiling on Land Holdings (Modification) Invoice, 2024’ offers with switch of ‘particular land’ (primarily allotted for tea cultivation) to be used of different functions at fee of a premium. Mohan maintained that the amendments have been meant to ease the issues in granting rights to folks settled on tea backyard land for many years now.
“The folks should pay a premium for the land as authorities land cannot be given away totally free,” he stated. Mohan stated one other key addition by way of the modification invoice is that folks will likely be allowed to promote the land to a 3rd social gathering, in the event that they so need, instantly after the plot is transformed to income land, removing a ready interval as required within the authentic Act.
Participating in its dialogue, Congress MLA Bharat Chandra Narah maintained {that a} provision of imposing a effective and/or imprisonment for switch of particular land for non-tea rising functions with out official approval was an occasion of ‘double punishment’ for a similar breach.
“The federal government will take away the land from the one that transfers it with out approval. Once more, jail time period and/ or effective for a similar purpose will tantamount to double punishment,” he claimed, although the minister rejected his assertion and stated each the provisions will likely be relevant.
One other Congress MLA Sherman Ali Ahmed maintained {that a} premium shouldn’t be charged for the land that was transferred with official approval, which was additionally rejected by the minister. The Home additionally handed ‘The Assam Agricultural Land (Regulation of Reclassification and Switch for Non-Agricultural Function) (Modification) Invoice, 2024’, additionally moved by Mohan.
Narah, collaborating within the dialogue, urged for waiver of premium for establishing of ‘minor business’ in reclassified agricultural land. “Premium will be charged for medium or main industries. However for minor industries, it ought to be waived. Additionally, there ought to be timeframe for disposal of functions made for reclassification of agricultural land,” the senior Congress MLA stated.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pijush Hazarika stated the premium, even when a minimal quantity, must be charged to make sure that nobody tries to carry on to extra land than permitted within the title of establishing minor industries. He additionally added that time-bound disposal of functions will likely be ensured in pursuance of the federal government’s ease of doing enterprise coverage.
Narah claimed ambiguity within the provision that agricultural land that’s notified as business will likely be reclassified as ‘agricultural’ if no business is ready up inside three years. AIUDF’s Aminul Islam additionally identified that the modification invoice doesn’t permit continuation of agricultural actions within the land whether it is reclassified as business land.
Mohan, responding to those, maintained that provisions within the authentic Act will likely be relevant in such cases, which allowed agricultural actions in reclassified land additionally. The Home additionally handed ‘The Assam Proper to Public Companies (Modification) Invoice, 2024’.
‘The Assam Motor Car Taxation (Modification) Invoice, 2024’ was additionally handed, with Transport Minister Keshab Mahanta sustaining that it has been introduced to not improve taxes however it should additionally assist automobile homeowners, particularly of small passenger business autos.
