Assam: 20-Year Encroachment Row Stalls Expansion of Historic Nazira Hospital

A CORRESPONDENT

NAZIRA: Even as the State Government pushes an aggressive drive to clear illegal encroachments across Assam, a 20-year-old encroachment case on a government hospital land in the heart of Nazira town remains unresolved.  

Despite clear rulings from revenue courts, a civil court, and the Gauhati High Court, a 3 katha 6 lecha plot inside the Nazira government-aided hospital premises is still under dispute, stalling all expansion plans for a facility that serves 70-80 patients daily.

The Nazira Subsidiary Health Centre was established in 1944 on 4 bighas, 1 katha, 13 lechas of land under Dag No. 571 and Plot Nos. 51 & 52 of Jangul Bari Grant, Nazira Mouza. Records show the land originally belonged to Assam Company, which leased it to the health centre. The lease was later reflected in the sale agreement between Assam Company and ONGC on December 30, 1968.

Trouble began in 2000 when the hospital tried to build a boundary wall with funds from then Rajya Sabha MP Lt Drupad Borgohain. A lady named Parvati Karmakar Rabha intervened, claiming ownership of 3 katha 6 lecha within the premises based on a putta allegedly issued by the Nazira Circle Officer’s office.  

Parvati is the daughter of Late Sukhadev Karmakar, a former chowkidar of the hospital who was allowed to stay in government quarters but did not vacate after retiring in 1997. Locals allege that the hospital managing committee’s inaction allowed the dispute to fester.

Despite court after court ruling against the claim, the land has not been retrieved, and the boundary wall remains incomplete.

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