From our Correspondent
TINSUKIA, April 25: A seven-member committee for Protection of Land Rights to Indigenous People of Assam (PLRIPA) headed by Hari Sankar Brahma, former Chief Election Commissioner, interacted with 90 members representing various ethnic groups, including mouzadars of Tinsukia district, at the DC’s conference hall on Monday. The team will visit every district of Assam and will assess various land-related issues, besides accepting suggestions from different organizations with the sole objective to protect land right and privileges of indigenous people.
Later expressing his views to media persons, Brahma divulged that more than 63 lakh bighas of land had been encroached, including 6 lakh bighas in Tinsukia district alone, by tea garden owners, illegal immigrants and private parties while land survey was not carried out in 1,300 villages in the last 22 years, thus depriving the people from obtaining myadi pattas.
While ‘land’ is the key issue, the flood problem in Assam is the biggest social issue connected with land, the manifestation of which has damaged the basic fabric of riverine indigenous people, Brahma observed.
Brahma said that he was pained to observe that there was no settlement after 1965, the land laws were either alieted or diverted and forest dwellers had been displaced without specific agenda, which needed validation and immediate attention. He pointed that in next couple of months the team would be in a position to submit a detail report to the State Government with suggestions and modalities after completion of tour to all districts.
On the side lines of the press meet, Srikumar Dahutia, who hails from Tinsukia district and is the only member of the committee from Upper Assam, said among all districts of Assam, land-related problem was perhaps highest and manifold in Tinsukia district and he would take utmost care to honour sentiments of the indigenous people of the State.