Timely action against land mafia leads to recovery of government land
tnl update
Despite the State Government taking tough action against land mafia, another such case of land grabbing came to light in Kokrajhar but the timely action of the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) administration has led to securing the government lands.
Government sources revealed that one Chandan Paul tried to grab a plot of 5 bighas of land belonging to the Water Resources department at Patharghat ward no 2 in Kokrajhar town. The vast land was temporarily used by the Indian Army for setting up a base camp during insurgency but the camp was shifted since peace has returned in the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR). Interestingly, two months after the shifting of the army camp, Chandan Paul had tried to take it by illegal means and set up a sign board with the name of M/S Jagadish Store and a boundary wall was also built. Paul had used some associates to guard the compound.
Receiving the information of illegal land grabbing, the EM of Land and Land Revenue, BTC, Ranjit Basumatary accompanied by Circle Officer, Kokrajhar, Rahul Phukan and Executive Engineer of Water Resources visited the spot on Tuesday and took the details.
One of the aides of Chandan Paul told the visiting EM that the plot of land was being occupied by Chandan Paul in the name of a business establishment. He said Paul asked them not to allow anyone.
EM of Land and Land Revenue department, Ranjit Basumatary said the council would never compromise on forceful occupation of government land and asked the Circle Officer to file a complaint against Chandan Paul. He also warned that action would be initiated against Paul as the land belonged to the Water Resources department. He also questioned why the Water Resources department kept silent over illegal occupation of departmental land and whether some officials were involved in the possible land grab. He further cautioned that similar illegal land occupation was going on and stern action would be taken in the days to come.
