NH31 blocked over alleged harassment by Army

Prashant Acharya, EOI, Siliguri, 8 September 2014: Hundreds of villagers of Bikash Nagar under Dabgram Panchayat and its adjoining areas today blocked National Highway 31 near Salugara to protest against the Army’s alleged  harassment to local residents and damaging of their properties.

Given the road block that started from 7:30am, commuters including tourists headed to Sikkim, Kalimpong and the Dooars from Siliguri and those returning to Siliguri had to face undue hassle for more than three hours.

According to Bikash Nagar residents, the land in which they are residing has been provided with land pattas by the state government, but in spite of this, Army personnel from the camp at Salugara damaged their houses and shops on Sunday night claiming the property to be defence land and threatened the residents to vacate the land immediately.

Dabgram Panchayat pradhan Meena Subba said land pattas for plot number 221 has been issued by the state government and to the residents and provided them with relevant documents. But Army jawans entered the area last night without prior notice and started dismantling houses and shops, she said. Subba also accuse the jawans of ill-treating women residents who protested against the damage to properties.

Local resident named Babu Pradhan said, “Last night some Army jawans suddenly entered my house and threatened me to vacate the land and began damaging my property; they also misbehaved with the female members of my house.”

Hearing the news of the road blockade, Rajganj block BDO, land department officials and the Siliguri police reached the spot and held a meeting with Army officers to sort out the so-called dispute. The officers assured to investigate the matter and they have appointed an officer from their ranks to find the facts.

The road blockade was lifted around 10:30am after the assurance to investigate the matter thoroughly.

Rajganj BDO Anish Sherpa said, “Land pattas were handed out to the residents under the ‘My Land, My house’ project of the state government. He said, “The land does not belong to the Army and they have no claim over it whatsoever.”

Sherpa also assured the matter will be put up before the district head and other higher authorities, especially about the unprovoked damage of property by the jawans without conducting a proper investigation.