Mamata Banerjee bullish on handing land rights to refugees -state government would continue to issue freehold land rights to refugees residing in refugee colonies

The CM raised the issue after NF Railway wrote a letter to the district magistrate of Jalpaiguri seeking possession of land on which some families had been residing

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee.: File picture

Pranesh Sarkar   |   TT   |   Calcutta   |    22.01.21 : Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said that the state government would continue to issue freehold land rights to refugees residing in refugee colonies set up on central government land even as some central agencies, mainly the railways, served eviction notice on the residents of some of such colonies.

“All those residing in the refugee colonies, be it on state government or central government or private land, would be given freehold land rights free of cost. Residents of some of the colonies set up on central government land were asked to vacate the land… We won’t accept any kind of eviction,” said the chief minister at Nabanna after a cabinet meeting.

Mamata said that so far 30,000 refugee families had received freehold rights of the land on which they had been residing for years. “We are ready to distribute land rights to another 12,000 families. The process to give such rights to another 3,840 families nearing completion,” she added.

Sources said Mamata raised the issue after NF Railway wrote a letter to the district magistrate of Jalpaiguri seeking possession of land on which some families received freehold rights. The state government came to know that eviction notice was served to some residents living on land owned by the railways in North 24-Parganas.

The CM’s assertion was a message to Delhi, said an official. “This is significant as the state has started giving freehold rights to residents of refugee colonies on central government land without consulting the Centre.”

The state, sources said, has taken up the process of giving freehold rights to the residents of 119 refugee colonies, most of which are set up on central government land.

“Questions can be raised whether the state can give freehold rights on central government land until plots are relinquished to the state. But the state is initiating the process on humanitarian grounds as eviction of people living on a plot for 40 to 50 years is not possible,” said an official.

Recently, the state government took the initiative to hold talks with railways that as eviction of people residing on their land for years was not possible, it would be better to allow the state to issue settlement rights. “But before talks could be held, the railways started issuing notices to residents. The state will now continue to issue land rights,” said an official.

Trinamul insiders said that the move was smart as it would help the party counter the BJP’s campaign on Citizenship (Amendment) Act among refugees ahead of polls.

“Now, if the railways move to court against the state initiative, we can refugees that the BJP-led Centre does not want to give them freehold land rights while the state government had issued orders to this effect. They will be able to understand who their well-wishers are,” said a minister.