Patta to tea garden workers: BJPM appeals not to mislead people

MP | 13 Feb 2023 | Siliguri: The Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM) has appealed to political outfits not to create confusion among the public just to gain political mileage thereby stalling the process of handing out land documents (Pattas) to tea garden workers. 

“Those who are trying to create obstacles in this process are nothing but agents of tea garden management. The process of resumption of land has already begun,” stated Keshav Raj Pokhrel, spokesperson, BGPM. 

On February 8, Anit Thapa, Chief Executive, Gorkhaland Territorial Administration had met Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata. Following the meeting, he had announced that soon land right documents will be distributed among tea garden workers in the GTA area soon and that a survey to this effect will commence in the tea gardens. 

“From childhood days politics in the Hills revolves around land and land rights. Earlier we used to hear that the 6 feet of land required to bury our dead in the tea gardens is not ours and that we have to seek permission for the burial. All this is set to change. We are getting back our land. 80 per cent of our population resides in tea gardens and cinchona plantations. When 80 per cent of the landless receive land right documents, this land legally becomes ours,” stated Pokhrel. 

Incidentally land under tea gardens is government land given out on long term lease. “The survey process has already commenced under the instruction of the District Magistrate to the SDLROs and BLROs. The land will be resumed from the tea gardens and added in the Number 1 Khatiyan of the Government and then distributed. Already survey is going on in Chongtong tea estate” added Pokhrel. 

Incidentally some political parties have started raising the ante claiming that Pattas classified for Refugees will be handed out in the GTA area. 

“We are not beggars. This land belongs to us. We don’t want Pattas that are handed over to refugees. We want our own state,” Bimal Gurung, president of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha had stated in a party meeting in Kurseong. 

“Let the process of survey end and people start getting the Pattas then only should such comments be made. A person who has not seen the Patta has no rights to comment,” added Pokhrel. 

In the past also, Gurung had given a clarion call in the Hills asking people not to enlist under the PDS system as “Refugee Ration cards were being handed out,” Gurung had claimed. However, the call did not evoke much response. 

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/patta-to-tea-garden-workers-bjpm-appeals-not-to-mislead-people-508571