Assam CM Sarma vows to reclaim 1,250 sq km of encroached land under NDA 3.0
Synopsis
Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma has put land reclamation at the heart of NDA 3.0's second-term agenda — pledging to recover over 1,250 sq km of encroached land and 5 lakh bighas in total, a dramatic escalation from the 1.5 lakh bighas freed in the previous term. With JCBs already on the ground and a UCC commitment layered on top, Sarma is signalling that identity politics and land rights will define his next five years.
Key Takeaways
Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma reaffirmed on 17 May that NDA 3.0 will reclaim over 1,250 sq km of encroached land across the state.
Field operations, including demolitions by JCB backhoe loaders , are already underway.
Sarma pledged to free 5 lakh bighas of land in this term, up from 1.5 lakh bighas recovered previously.
The Uniform Civil Code (UCC) is also on the government's agenda, with Sarma promising full implementation of the BJP election manifesto.
The ‘Jati, Mati, Bheti’ slogan — community, land, homeland — remains central to the BJP-led government's political identity in Assam.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday, 17 May reaffirmed the NDA 3.0 government's resolve to reclaim more than 1,250 sq km of land allegedly encroached upon across the state, saying field operations are already underway as part of a sweeping campaign against illegal land occupation in Assam.
What Sarma Said
Posting on X, Sarma wrote: “NDA 3.0 is committed to reclaiming over 1250 sq km of encroached land in Assam. We are already on the ground working towards realising this promise.” The post was accompanied by a video showing JCB backhoe loaders demolishing structures and clearing debris — including wooden planks and metal sheets — in what appeared to be a rural hilly area.
The Pledge Made Before Taking Oath
The latest statement builds on a commitment Sarma made on 11 May, the eve of being sworn in as Chief Minister for a second consecutive term. At the time, he declared that the “land, identity and future” of Assam would remain “non-negotiable” under his administration.
He also pledged to free nearly 5 lakh bighas of land from encroachment during NDA 3.0 — a significant scaling-up from the 1.5 lakh bighas his government claims to have already recovered in its previous term. The slogan “Jati, Mati, Bheti” — meaning community, land, and homeland — has been central to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government's political messaging in the state, particularly on identity and land rights.
UCC Also on the Agenda
Separately, Sarma reiterated the government's commitment to implementing the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in Assam, saying every promise in the party's election manifesto would be honoured. “UCC is a part of our election manifesto. So every point in our election manifesto, not only UCC, all that we have mentioned in our election manifesto, we’ll try 100 per cent to implement,” he told reporters.
The UCC, if enacted, would replace religion-based personal laws governing marriage, divorce, inheritance, and adoption with a single uniform legal framework applicable to all citizens regardless of religion. His remarks come amid renewed national debate on UCC implementation in BJP-ruled states.
Context and Significance
Assam has witnessed several large-scale eviction drives in recent years, some of which have drawn criticism from opposition groups and civil society organisations over the manner of their execution and the communities affected. The government, however, has maintained that recovering encroached land — particularly in ecologically sensitive and government-owned areas — is essential to protecting Assam's demographic and cultural character.
With NDA 3.0 now formally in office, the pace and scale of these operations are expected to intensify, making land reclamation one of the defining policy fronts of Sarma's second term.
Point of View
Mati, Bheti' framing ties eviction operations directly to Assam's identity anxieties, making opposition pushback politically costly. The jump from 1.5 lakh bighas in the first term to a 5 lakh bigha target in the second is a fivefold escalation that will test both administrative capacity and judicial scrutiny, given that past drives have faced High Court interventions. The simultaneous UCC commitment signals that Sarma is positioning Assam as the BJP's laboratory for cultural consolidation ahead of the 2026 state assembly elections. Whether the scale of promised delivery matches the scale of the promise is the question that will define this term.
NationPress
9 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How much land is Assam's NDA 3.0 government aiming to reclaim?
The Sarma government has committed to reclaiming over 1,250 sq km of encroached land across Assam, with field operations already underway. Additionally, CM Sarma has pledged to free nearly 5 lakh bighas of land during NDA 3.0's term — a sharp increase from the 1.5 lakh bighas recovered in the previous term.
What is the 'Jati, Mati, Bheti' slogan used by Assam's BJP government?
'Jati, Mati, Bheti' translates to community, land, and homeland in Assamese. It has been the central slogan of the BJP-led government's political messaging in Assam on issues of land rights and identity, and features prominently in Sarma's statements on eviction drives.
What is the Uniform Civil Code and why is Assam's CM talking about it?
The Uniform Civil Code (UCC) is a proposed legal framework that would replace religion-based personal laws on marriage, divorce, inheritance, and adoption with a single law applicable to all citizens. CM Sarma has said implementing the UCC is part of the BJP's election manifesto and the government will pursue it fully, amid wider national debate on UCC in BJP-ruled states.
Has Assam carried out land eviction drives before?
Yes. The Sarma government carried out multiple eviction drives during its first term, claiming to have freed 1.5 lakh bighas of encroached land. Some of those operations drew criticism from opposition groups and civil society over the communities affected, and certain drives faced legal challenges in the Gauhati High Court.
When did Sarma first announce the 5 lakh bigha land reclamation pledge?
Sarma announced the pledge on 11 May 2025, the eve of his swearing-in as Chief Minister for a second consecutive term, declaring that Assam's land, identity, and future would be 'non-negotiable' under his administration.
