It’s Official: 231 Bigha of Xatra Land Under Encroachment

GUWAHATI: About 231 bigha and 4 Katha of Xatra land are under illegal occupation across Assam. Revealing this in the Assembly on Monday, Revenue and Disaster Management State Minister Bhabesh Kalita in reply to a question from Congress legislator Abdur Rashid Mandal, further pointed out that the State government is initiating steps to free the Xatra lands from encroachment in the near future.

Referring to reports of Deputy Commissioners from 26 districts, Minister Kalita further added that presently “the District Magistrates (DMs) are carrying out various operations to free the lands not only under Xatras but also of other religious institutions from all forms of illegal occupation under various laws including ‘The Assam Land Grabbing (Prohibition) Act, 2010’.”

To further strengthen the move and empower the respective DMs, the government is also mulling to bring in the necessary amendments to ‘The Assam land and Revenue Regulation, 1886’, he stated.

The Minister also pointed out that the maximum area of 121 bigha and 16 lecha under illegal occupation is at Shyamrai Bigrah Xatra in Barpeta district followed by 54 bigha of Auniati Xatra in Kamrup (Metro). Three Xatras at Chimen Chapori in Dhemaji district are under encroachment. These are six bigha of land at Gojala Xatra, and one bigha each at Sri Sri Nahakatia Xatra as well as at Holguri Xatra.

The other Xatras where encroachment has been official reported by the DMs are 20 bigha of land at Sri Thakur Ata Xatra in Bongaigaon; 15 bigha of Sri Sri Dakhinpat Xatra at Teok in Jorhat; 12 bigha, one katha and 17 lecha of Patekibari Xatra in Morigaon; one katha, 19 lecha of Sri Sri Garmur Xatra in Jorhat; and two katha, seven lecha of Ramrai Kuthi Xatra in Dhubri.

The Minister also pointed out that Moinbari Xatra stretched across four bigha and 15 lecha of land at Barnagar in Barpeta does not have any encroachment. It was established by Sri Sri Narayan Das Thakur Ata at Kalgachia. However, the Xatra was shifted to the present location as erosion posed serious threat to its land at Kalgachia.

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