KMSS organizes mass rally in Jorhat, demands land pattas  

FROM A CORRESPONDENT

Jorhat, Feb 27: “Despite repeated demands from various quarters, the government in the State has failed to issue land pattas to the ethnic people. We strongly condemn this government apathy and demand issue of land pattas to the indigenous people immediately,” said Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) adviser Akhil Gogoi while addressing a mass rally in Jorhat on Monday.

Gogoi said, “It is a long-pending demand. But the government has turned a deaf ear to it due to some unknown reason. On the other hand, the government has been working in favour of some capitalists and unscrupulous traders in the State. The government has easily changed the agricultural lands to other classes for the interest of these capitalists so that they can build industries or other business establishments on agricultural land.”

Over 1,000 KMSS activists staged dhar in Jorhat on Monday in protest against the government’s alleged failure to issue land pattas to the ethnic people in the State. The programme was organized in front of the Jorhat Deputy Commissioner’s office. A protest meet was also held in the busy AT Road for about three hours from 11 am on Monday causing traffic chaos in the town.

The peasants’ body also sent a memorandum addressed to the Chief Minister through the Deputy Commissioner of Jorhat with their seven-point charter of demands. They demanded the government to take steps for permanent solution of flood and erosion, to stop eviction drive against indigenous people, to issue land pattas to the tea garden workers in their tea gardens, to take up steps for protection of Majuli, to provide irrigation facilities in all paddy fields, to check corruption in public distribution system, to provide rice at fair prices to poor families and to take steps for permanent solution of Assam-galand border dispute.