Concern over paddy cultivation on Dhubri river bank by aliens

From a Correspondent

DHUBRI, March 7: A large tract of land on the river bank between BSF (Water Wing) and Dhubri Intertiol River Port adjacent to ward no 3 of Dhubri town, is now being cultivated by some strangers who have grown paddy over there since the last few months by barricading the area.

The land measuring over 105 bighas along the Panchughat and Free India Ghat has always been used as ghat by the thousands of residents of ward no 3 and 11, and all religious rituals including Chhat Puja and Ashoka austami sn (bathing) are performed here since decades by devotees.

Moreover, this land being located in between BSF water wing establishment and river port, is considered to be highly sensitive and important from the security point of view, but it was very surprising to note that despite all these, some strangers without any legal standing are cultivating the land, residents of wards no 3 and 11 alleged. Residents informed that this was brought to the notice of Dhubri Circle Officer on Tuesday and he already visited the area himself to inspect it.

 Talking to The Sentinel, former president of All Assam Bhojpuri Parishad, and chairman of Hindi Speaking Development Council, Parshuram Dubey informed that this was a serious matter and part of a larger and deep conspiracy by land mafia who grab government land- be it in forest or sar area. “It is tural phenomenon of River Brahmaputra to form river island or sandbar, but as soon as sar lands are emerged in the river, land mafias also become active to stake claim on the land by exercising muscle power, and grab them,” Dubey alleged.

Dubey, while explaining the common need and importance of land (Panchughat) for the people from the religious point of view, said that land should be freed from the encroachment and cultivation as a huge land emerged due to receding of the water lever of Brahmaputra, and it could be developed as greenery with permanent ghat by erecting concrete wall.