13/09/2026
Senior Supreme Court advocate Upamanyu Hazarika has raised questions over the Assam Land Revenue Regulation (Amendment), 2026, particularly the definition of an “original inhabitant” under the amended law.
Hazarika, convenor of the Prabajan Virodhi Manch (PVM), argued that the law’s three-generation test — covering families who have lived continuously in Assam for three generations prior to 2006 — could have implications for the protection of Satra land from encroachment.
The amended law provides protection to structures of historical or cultural significance that are at least 250 years old, primarily Satras, along with a protected area extending up to 5 km around them. It identifies categories of people who may reside within these protected zones, including “original inhabitants”, indigenous ethnic communities and disadvantaged groups.
Hazarika questioned whether the broad definition of “original inhabitant” could make it difficult to evict existing encroachers if they qualify under the new provision. He claimed that around 15,288 bighas, or roughly 5,000 acres, of Satra land remain under encroachment, mainly in Barpeta and Nagaon districts.
