GUWAHATI: On Thursday, the Assam government introduced a bill to amend six state acts aimed at reducing regulatory compliance.
The Assam Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2026, aligns with the Centre’s initiative to deregulate and lessen compliance burdens. The bill aims to eliminate outdated regulations and streamline approvals to enhance living conditions and ease of business.
The proposed changes impact laws related to school and university education, urban and regional planning, fire and emergency services, land reclassification, and cinema regulation.
According to the statement of objectives, the Centre aims to alleviate legal and procedural burdens on citizens and businesses. States are encouraged to assess existing laws and eliminate antiquated restrictions, adjust eligibility norms, and implement trust-based compliance methods instead of rigid licensing and prior-permission systems.
Commerce and Industries Minister Bimal Borah stated, “This bill extends the review process to sector-specific laws concerning education, regional planning, fire safety, land use, and cinema regulation. This will reduce avoidable compliance burdens and facilitate faster approvals and institutional growth in the State.”
The proposed amendments will lower minimum land requirements for various levels of schools and permit their access to government school facilities like libraries and play areas. Additionally, it will rationalize the land requirements for private universities.
The bill empowers the government to establish regional development authorities and devise balanced regional plans. It also allows for the extension of current master plans until new versions are finalized.
The amendments aim to standardize fire safety regulations with national construction codes and permit certain relaxations of building bylaws through notifications.
Furthermore, the bill removes the requirement for prior consent from district commissioners to reclassify agricultural land for MSME units and solar projects (with specific exceptions) and to alter non-agricultural land uses. Instead, applicants will submit declarations and pay the associated fees. Penalties will apply for false declarations or unauthorized land usage.
Review and appeal timelines will be simplified, and outdated cinema regulations will be updated.
