Xatra Land Encroachment: Asam Satra Mahasabha rues ignorance of Ministers

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI: The Asam Satra Mahasabha — an umbrella organization of all xatras — has said that the successive Revenue Ministers of the State have all along been neglecting the Xatras of the State since India’s Independence.

In a statement issued on Monday, Asam Satra Mahasabha general secretary Kusum Kumar Mahanta said, “Since the Independence of India, no Revenue Minister of Assam was serious on the Xatras of the State. None of them is aware of the total number of xatras in the State, the total area of their land and the area of xatra land under encroachment. Every time, the successive Revenue Ministers in the State give the State Assembly wrong information on the encroachment of Xatra land in the State.”

Mahanta further said, “The present government had three Revenue Ministers in the past four yours. However, none of the three Ministers is aware of the exact number of xatras, the total area of xatra land and the total area of Xatra land encroached upon in the State. What can be more unfortunate for the people of Assam than this?”

On the assurance given to the ASM by the State government, Mahanta said, “The present government did assure us of freeing xatra land under encroachment. However, the government has less than a year to go. If the government has any goodwill for the wellbeing of the Xatras in the State, it should seriously take up the issue of encroachment of xatra land.”

During this Budget Session on March 2, 2020, Minister of State for Revenue (independent) Jogen Mohan had informed the Assam Legislative Assembly that 121 bigha, 3 katha and 11 lessas of xatra land has been under encroachment in Assam.

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