Commission convinced of xatra land encroachment

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The Xatra Commission is convinced of the encroachment of xatra lands in the Barpeta district. The Xatra Commission started the study of xatra lands, their encroachment and encroachers from Barpeta xatra.

The three-member Xatra Commission has MLA Pradip Hazarika as chairman. The two members are MLA Rupak Sarmah and MLA Mrinal Saikia.

Talking to the media in Barpeta, Pradip Hazarika said, "The State Government formed this commission to ascertain the landed property of xatras, their landed property under encroachment and identities of the encroachers. We have started to study xatra affairs from today. We are hopeful of filing a report on xatra lands."

Talking to The Sentinel, Xatra Commission member Rupak Sarmah said, "We are convinced of the encroachment of the lands of various xatras in the Barpeta district. However, there are confusions as well. The data of encroached xatra lands given by the xatra managing committees do not tally with the data of the district administration.

"Some xatra managing committees say that much-landed property they had earlier is not with them now. Some of the xatra managing committees claim to have copper plaques with details of the landed property they received from kings. We have requested the xatra managing committees to submit details of their landed property, encroached land and encroachers to the Barpeta Deputy Commissioner. Two xatras submitted the lists of encroachers of their lands to the Xatra Commission today.

"We will make a public appeal to all xatras of the state shortly requesting them to submit details of their landed property, encroached lands and encroachers in writing to the Xatra Commission. We will examine the information on xatra land and compare them with the information of the district administrations, besides carrying out field verification. We are hopeful of submitting an information-rich report on xatra lands to the government." It is the first such commission formed to study xatra affairs in detail.

Also Read: Asom Sattra Mahasabha steps in to rescue xatras & naamghars

Also Watch: