Assam govt puts restriction on issuance of NOC for land sales between people of different religions
Guwahati: The Assam government, led by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, has implemented a temporary restriction on the issuance of no-objection certificates (NOCs) for land sales between individuals of different religions, as reported by The Hindu.
According to the report, the state's Revenue and Disaster Management (Registration) Department issued a notification on March 7, endorsed by the state governor. The decision to impose this temporary restriction stems from intelligence inputs alleging fraudulent land transfers involving individuals of different religions. The government perceives this move as necessary to prevent any potential communal tensions, especially with the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
However, the notification specifies that if a district commissioner deems it essential to issue an NOC and assesses that it will not pose any risk to law and order, the certificate may be granted with prior approval from the Assam Inspector General of Registration.
The notification, signed by Gyanendra Dev Tripathi, Principal Secretary to the state’s Revenue Department, comes in light of the impending Lok Sabha elections, which will be held in 14 constituencies across Assam in three phases on April 19, April 26, and May 7.
This development follows the initiation of the third phase of the Himanta government’s flagship Mission Basundhara, aimed at providing land titles for government-owned lands exclusively to "indigenous" people of Assam. Notably, Chief Minister Himanta had previously emphasized that Bengali-origin Muslims without land ownership would not be eligible to apply for land under this policy.
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Accused in journalist Gauri Lankesh murder case joins Shinde-led Sena in Jalna
Jalna (PTI): Shrikant Pangarkar, an accused in the 2017 murder of journalist Gauri Lankesh, which outraged the nation, joined Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena in Jalna ahead of assembly polls.
Lankesh was shot dead outside her home in Karnataka capital Bengaluru on September 5, 2017.
A probe by police in Karnataka with assistance from agencies in Maharashtra led to the arrest of several persons.
Pangarkar, a Jalna municipal councillor of the undivided Shiv Sena between 2001and 2006, was arrested in August 2018 and was granted bail by the Karnataka High Court on September 4 this year.
After he was denied a ticket by the Shiv Sena in 2011, Pangarkar joined the right-wing Hindu Janjagruti Samiti.
He joined the Shinde-led Shiv Sena on Friday in the presence of party leader and former state minister Arjun Khotkar.
"Pangarkar is a former Shiv Sainik and has returned to the party. He has been nominated as the chief of the Jalna assembly poll campaign," Khotkar told reporters.
Khotkar also said he wants to contest the assembly poll from Jalna, but added seat sharing discussions in the Mahayuti (ruling alliance comprising Shiv Sena, BJP and Ajit Pawar-led NCP) were still underway.
The seat is held by Congress' Kailash Gorantyal.
Maharashtra assembly polls will be held on November 20, while results will be declared on November 23. The term of the current assembly ends on November 26.
