Adivasi lands up for grabs by land sharks..Influential promoters grabbing Adivasi lands by hook or by crook

SNS, Siliguri, 26 November 2013: Although both the Central and state governments always try to ensure protection of lands belonging to tribal people, a section of non tribal people, virtually influential promoters are grabbing their lands by hook or by crook. A tale of grabbing a plot of land of an Adivasi tea worker has come to the fore in Siliguri despite administrative steps being taken in favour of the land owner.

When the project officer-cum district welfare officer (backward classes welfare department) in Jalpaiguri issued a letter to the Officer-in-charge of Bhaktinagar police station to take necessary action so that the interest of a person belonging to the Schedule Tribe should not get hampered, the land owner Mr Firu Oraon alleged that a group of six land sharks repeatedly prevented him from taking possession of his land.

Land records show that the plot of land measuring nearly 1.3 acre, located on Sevoke road in the Siliguri Municipal Corporation, owned by late Teta Oraon, father of Mr Firu Oraon. When the land sharks had tried to grab the land forcibly, Teta Oraon had fought them and managed verdict in his favour from the state government.

Since then a group of financially solvent people have been relentlessly trying to grab the land after the death of Teta Oraon in 2006. His son, Mr Firu Oraon and others, including the leaders of Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Vikas Parishad have been fighting so called land mafias and lodged complaints with the appropriate authorities, including the Jalpaiguri sub-divisional magistrate against Mr Pradip Kumar Prasad.

Mr Oraon has also lodged a complaint with the Commission against the accused persons and even against Bhaktinagar police station for alleged inaction. 

The accused has been allegedly managing law keeps day after day. When contacted over phone, Mr Pradip Kumar Prasad was not available for comment on charges of grabbling tribal land. 

The location of the land is commercially priceless on Sevoke road in fast growing Siliguri.