A controversy has erupted in Assam after Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sharma, purchased over 18 bighas of land on the river island of Majuli.
The land deals, which took place just months before the Assam Assembly passed the Assam Land and Revenue Regulation (Second Amendment) Bill, 2024, have sparked allegations of misconduct and misuse of power.
The amended Act, designed to protect Assam's heritage and culture, restricts non-locals from buying land within a five-kilometre radius of historic "iconic structures" that are over 250 years old.
However, Majuli has been exempted from the Act’s provisions until November 2024, raising questions about potential favouritism.
Bhasko De Saikia, a leader of the Raijor Dal party, accused Chief Minister Sarma of deliberately excluding Majuli from the Act's purview to allow further land purchases for his wife.
Saikia alleged that Riniki Bhuyan Sharma, via her real estate company Ekaa Estates LLP, co-owned with their son Nandil Biswa Sarma, purchased approximately 19 bighas (18 bighas, 4 katha, and 14 lessa) of land in Majuli.
Public records show that Ekaa Estates LLP, a Shillong-registered construction firm, was established on 25 December 2022. The transactions occurred in two phases—on 18 May 2022 and 1 June 2023—both before the new Bill was enacted.
The first phase involved purchases from several residents of Majuli, including members of the Neog family, while the second phase saw the acquisition of land from Narayan Pachani.
Saikia and his party have accused the Sarma family of amassing wealth and assets since Himanta Biswa Sarma became Chief Minister.
They allege that Riniki Bhuyan Sharma has acquired a total of 125 bighas of land during this period and are demanding a thorough investigation into the transactions.
As controversy over the land deals grows, critics argue that the exemption of Majuli from the new regulations casts a shadow over the state government’s commitment to protecting Assam's cultural and historical heritage.v
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