The proposed Aero City and Satellite Township projects near Guwahati have sparked concerns among residents of several villages in Kamrup district over possible land acquisition, livelihood loss and protection of tribal land rights.

Key Highlights

• The proposed projects will be developed in the Rani–Bongara region under Palasbari and Azara Revenue Circles near Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport.
• Around 6,662 bighas of land has been identified, including about 2,662 bighas for the Aero City project and the remaining land for the Satellite Township.
• The Aero City is proposed to be developed by the Adani Group, while the Satellite Township is being planned by the Government of Assam.
• Revenue authorities have initiated land valuation and documentation in several villages as part of the acquisition process.
• The project aims to strengthen aviation-linked infrastructure, promote urban expansion, attract investment, generate employment, and support economic growth around Guwahati.

Major Concerns

• Many affected families depend primarily on agriculture, raising concerns over loss of livelihood and rehabilitation.
• Several villages fall within the South Kamrup Tribal Belt and Block, where tribal land enjoys legal protection.
• Some villages are also under the jurisdiction of the Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council (RHAC).
• Tribal organisations fear that bringing these areas under the Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) could weaken tribal land rights, constitutional safeguards, cultural identity, and local self-governance.

Relevant Legal and Institutional Framework

• Land acquisition is governed by the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013, which provides for fair compensation, rehabilitation and resettlement.
• Tribal Belts and Blocks in Assam are protected under the Assam Land and Revenue Regulation, 1886, to safeguard the land rights of indigenous tribal communities.
• The Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council (RHAC) was established under the Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council Act, 1995, to promote self-governance and socio-economic development of the Rabha community.
• The Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) is responsible for planned urban development in the Guwahati Metropolitan Area.

About the Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council

• It was constituted by the Government of Assam in 1995 through a state legislative act, for the economic, educational, socio-cultural, and ethnic development of the Rabha people and other communities, including Bodo, Garo, and Hajong, residing within its jurisdiction.
• Its headquarters are located at Dudhnoi in Goalpara district, and its jurisdiction spans the southern bank of the Brahmaputra, covering significant parts of Kamrup and Goalpara districts.
• The Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council was created through an ordinary state legislative act — it does not have Sixth Schedule constitutional protection. 
• The primary purpose of creating a statutory body was to administer areas predominantly inhabited by the Rabha tribe, granting maximum autonomy within the constitutional framework to address their specific developmental needs.
• This autonomy extends to legislative, executive, and limited judicial functions over 34 enumerated subjects, including allotment of land, management of forests other than reserved forests, village administration, education up to secondary level, public health, sanitation, agriculture, and social customs, enabling localized governance to mitigate historical issues of marginalization, land alienation, and inadequate infrastructure
• Assam has six such non-Sixth-Schedule statutory autonomous councils, created in 1995 for plain tribal communities: Rabha Hasong, Mising, Tiwa, Deori, Sonowal Kachari, and Thengal Kachari Autonomous Councils.

Exam Hook: Prelims Question

With reference to the Tribal Belts and Blocks in Assam, consider the following statements:

1. They are intended to protect the land rights of indigenous tribal communities.
2. They were created under the Assam Land and Revenue Regulation, 1886.
3. Land transfers in these areas are regulated to prevent alienation of tribal land.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

(a) 1 only
(b) 1 and 2 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (d) 1, 2 and 3

One-Line Wrap

The proposed Aero City and Satellite Township seek to transform Guwahati into a major economic and aviation hub, but their success will depend on balancing infrastructure development with tribal land rights, fair rehabilitation and sustainable urban planning.