People of particular religious group grabbed xatra lands: Xatra Commission

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The Xatra Commission, headed by MLA Pradip Hazarika as the chairman, physically visited 40 xatras and studied their property status. The commission found encroachment, especially by people belonging to a particular religious group, in many xatras.

The Xatra Commission will give a detailed status of the xatra land encroachment in its final report to the government.

Talking to The Sentinel, Commission Chairman Pradip Hazarika said, "We have seen encroachment is many xatras. We have noticed that the people belonging to a particular religious group grabbed xatra lands. We need time to visit and study many other xatras. We may submit an interim or first report to the State Government."

Talking to The Sentinel, Xatra Commission member MLA Rupak Sarma said, "The State Government formed the three-member commission to visit and study details of the xatras. We have visited various xatras and studied them in detail. The present State Government is committed to freeing xatra lands from encroachers. The government wants to know the plight of the xatras and their landed property through this commission."

ASM (Asom Sattra Mahasabha) general secretary Kusum Kumar Mahanta, on the other hand, said, "We have handed over a detailed list of encroached xatra lands to the Xatra Commission. We prepared the list based on field reports. If need be, the Xatra Commission can verify the list. We want the State Government to free the around 10,000 bighas of 32 xatras from encroachers. If the xatras cannot survive, the Assamese culture will be at stake."

According to ASM, 1,900 bighas of Adi Elengi Xatra, 195 bighas of Simalabari Xatra, 190 bighas of Bohori Xatra, 160 bighas of Jania Xatra, 182 bighas of Dhuporguri Xatra, 81 bighas of Bapupara Xatra, 161 bighas of Bishnupur Xatra, 58 bighas of Rongapani Xatra, 46 bighas of Kobaikata Xatra etc., are under encroachment.

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