What is Mission Basundhara 3.0? Is It Better Than Its Predecessor 2.0?

Mission Basundhara

Mission Basundhara is a flagship initiative launched by the Department of Revenue and Disaster Management, Govt. of Assam. “Mission Basundhara” has been initiated under the guidance of chief minister of Assam in an effort to simplify, and settle, and to make land revenue services easily reachable for citizens.

It is hoped that the launch of Mission Basundhara Portal will help reduce pendencies in land record updates and the public will get stress-free and smooth services without having to visit revenue circle offices.

The mission after its implementation shall be able to achieve the target of 100% Digitization of Maps and complete Integration of Maps, Land Records and Registration for the State under DILRMP. Real time land records shall be available to the citizens.

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Mission Basundhara 3.0 Overview

Background: Mission Basundhara 3.0 is an extensive land rights and records management program in the state of Assam, India. The new implementation is intended to guarantee equitable and fair distribution of land, resolve disputes over land ownership, and facilitate secure land transactions. Implemented properly, this scheme can lay a strong foundation for development, empowerment, and peace in this northeastern state, transforming the socio-economic landscape.

Name of mission: Mission Basundhara 3.0

Name of department: Department of Revenue and Disaster Management, Govt. of Assam

Date of launch: 20th October 2024 (3rd edition)

Venue of launch: Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra, Guwahati

Launched by: Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma, Chief Minister of Assam

Helpline number: 1800-345-3574

Helpline email: [email protected]

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The Components of Mission Basundhara

Mission Basundhara portal will provide number of land related services free of cost to the citizens of India. First phase of land administration prior to them only nine land based services. But another 10 new body services are added through Mission Basundhara 2.0. And 7 new services were added with the launch of Mission Basundhara 3.0. Here is the list of services.

Mission Basundhara 3.0

Settlement of unsettled erstwhile Bhoodan/Gramdan Lands

Ownership rights to occupancy tenants in townlands which were erstwhile rural lands

Offering reclassification suits

End-to-end digitalization of Annual Patta to PP conversion with rationalized rates in town and its peripheral areas.

Limited Conversion of Tea grant land to periodic patta

Digitalized Settlement of land to non-individual juridical entities

Settlement of land in surveyed N.C. village under SVAMITVA

Mission Basundhara 2.0

Settlement of Khas and ceiling Surplus land.

Settlement of Occupancy Tenant.

Settlement of special cultivators.

Settlement of hereditary land of Tribal Communities.

Settlement of AP transferred land from original AP holder.

Regularization of settlement of PGR VGR LAND.

Online payment of Land Revenue.

Mission Basundhara 1.0

Mutation by right of inheritance

Mutation after deed registration

Partition for undisputed cases

Reclassification of agricultural land to non-agricultural land less than 1 bigha

Allotment certificate to Periodic Patta

Conversion from Annual Patta to Periodic Patta

Striking out of name from patta

Mobile Number Updation

Name Correction

Area Correction

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Services under Mission Basundhara 3.0

Mission Basundhara (“Basundha” is the Assamese word for land) which was launched by Chief Minister of Assam, aimed to digitalise land records which would ensure better transparency in land transactions and increased the ease of doing business in the state. Here Mission Basundhara 2.0 improved from that by augmenting the facilities available within the legacy system. From Mission Basundhara 2.0 — a headstart transformation of the land administration and revenue collection systems — the Government of Assam has already taken a giant leap to Mission Basundhara 3.0 which focuses on expansion of reach and delivery of services with decentralised approaches to that end with the sweet smell of technology.

1. Settlement of unsettled previously Bhoodan/Gramdan Lands:

Right of ownership will be conferred on Occupancy Tenants as per Assam (Temporary Settled Areas) Tenancy Act, 1971 under which an occupancy tenant can apply for obtaining ownership rights.

Documents Required:

1. Certificate as proof of legal heirs (if applied by legal heirs)
2. Rent Receipt
3. Copy of Rayati Khatian

2. Proposing reclassification ideas:

Landowners can use this service to apply for the reclassification of their land due to a change of use. As an example, some applications from agriculture land to either residential, commerce, or industrial land, which its use is now not to be used as agriculture. Landholders can apply for reclassification anyway. This helps in ensuring compliance with land use regulations and prevents them from falling for any illegal transactions regarding their land.

Documents Required:

1. Upto date Land Revenue Receipt

3. Fully automated Annual Patta to PP conversion with rationalized rates in town and its peripheries:

Under this service, the Annual patta land holders, who have only year on year lease rights over the land, can now avail the facility of converting their land as Periodic Patta by paying a rationalised premium of fee. This conversion provides them with property rights and allows the land to be bought and sold indefinitely.

Documents Required:

1. Land Details
2. Upto date Land Revenue Receipt
3. Copy of Annual Patta
4. Trace Map of the Scheduled land

4. Tea grant land has been assigned to periodical patta in limit.

Land owned by tea estates was earlier allotted for the purpose of growing tea, but has been sold off and converted for residential or commercial purposes. Under this service, such Tea Grant or Tea Patta land can be legally converted into Myadi Patta by reclassifying the land on the basis of its prevailing use, subject to payment of extant premiums.

Documents Required:

1. Registered Deed on or before 31.12.2022
2. Upto date Land Revenue Receipt

5. Digitalized Settlement of land to non individual juridical entities:

Organisations and Institutions like government bodies, educational, religious and socio-cultural institutions can apply for land allotment or settlement through this service. These bodies, whose jurisdiction is recognised as a separate legal entity, can acquire land for the development of infrastructure projects, public purposes or to meet needs of the community. The service also makes allowances for religious sites and public space.

Documents Required: As mentioned in theofficial website

6. Land settlement in surveyed N.C. village under SVAMITVA:

The objective of this service is to provide title deeds in villages that are not surveyed under SVAMITVA scheme i.e non-cadastral (NC) villages. The project seeks to ensure accurate mapping of NC village land with title deeds given to each landholder. Integrating these unsurveyed lands into formal land records through this process is fundamental for achieving NC Village Free Assam — helping strengthen governance and reduce land disputes.

Documents Required:

1. Caste Certificate
2. Bedakhali Jorimona Paid Receipt
3. Proof of hereditary land

7. Review pending clarifications of MB 2.0 cases:

With respect to such land-related issues… However, Mission Basundhara 2.0 has not yet been able to resolve many of these land-related cases, as they require further clarification. The pending cases so received are then taken zonely which means district-wise and service-wise to assess and resolve the matter that are pending due to collection of all relevant information for a proper decision making process. The new review service is intended to speed up the reconciliation process.

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Conclusion:

Mission Basundhara 3.0 is a strong reflection of the proactive approach taken by the Assam government towards land reforms and socio-economic development in the State. It can unlock simple yet very powerful land issues but also benefit in promoting a strong, harmonious, society. Assam is all set to start its journey of inclusive growth through this move of the comprehensive land reform mission, which would act as a harbinger of opportunities for millions of its sons and daughters and help in shaping the nation’s advancement.

It is about its successful execution that will determine that the beneficiaries actually for whom the mission is that make Mission Basundhara 3.0 successful. The people of Assam are looking forward to the positive impacts this initiative brings in their lives and they hope for a more just and prosperous future for their state.

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