Encroachment of xatra land : Is Sarbananda Sonowal serious of solving the problem?

GUWAHATI: Dispur, as often as not, speaks of freeing xatra lands from encroachment. Opt-repeated questions are: Is Dispur serious? Why cannot Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal have a time-bound action plan? The fact remains that the government is yet to ascertain the exact area of xatra land under encroachment in the State.

While government records put encroached xatra lands in the State at 153 bighas, the AXM (Axam Xatra Mahaxabha) puts it at 7,000 bighas. A decision was taken for the formation of a joint committee of the district authorities and the AXM for a joint survey of encroached xatra land last year. However, no such joint survey has been conducted as yet. The situation has come to such a pass that efforts are on to erect majsids and madrassas on encroached xatra lands in the State by a section of people of doubtful nationalities.

At its central executive committee meeting at Morigaon held on November 25 this year the AXM discussed this issue.

Talking to The Sentinel, AXM general secretary Kusum Kumar Mahanta said: “According to government records there are only 862 xatras in the State. However, we’ve the records of 1,241 xatras. The State government’s is a rough estimation. It might have been generated by the government asking DCs, DCs asking ADCs, ADCs asking circle officers who ultimately ask mandals to give the estimate. These are mandals’ estimation. To get the exact area of encroached xatra land, a joint survey is a must. We’re ready to provide our people for the survey as and when the government takes step towards that end.”

Mahanta further said: “The problem is no longer confined to encroachment. Efforts are on to erect masjids and madrassas on xatra lands. The lands of Kubaikata Xatra, the birth place of Damodhar Dev, in Morigaon have been encroached upon. Even the pond of the xatra has been earth-filled and a signboard reading ‘masjid development committee’ was put up there. We’ve got the signboard removed with the help of the deputy commissioner.”

Mahanta made it a point that the new generation in districts like Goalpara, Dhubri and their ilk are ignorant of great men like Sankardev and Madhabdev. “This is something which the government should take note of and take corrective measures,” he said.

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