Anit Thapa raises demand of ‘patta’ for entire land in possession of workers

Amitava Banerjee | MP | 13 Sept 2023 : In a meeting with the Secretary, Land and Land Reforms department at Nabanna on Wednesday, Anit Thapa, Chief Executive Member, Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) stated that ‘pattas’ (land right documents) be distributed which is in and as per the current possession of the people and encompasses agricultural land in their possession as well. He also submitted a memorandum to this effect to the secretary. 

“I apprised the secretary that the workers have been residing in these plots since ages. They have their own houses and are engaged in agriculture, floriculture and livestock rearing in plots in the tea gardens since before Independence. 

The Bengal government had proposed to give them homestead pattas of 5 decimal each. The aspiration of the workers is that they get pattas for land in their present possession. Honouring the sentiment of the masses, I would request the state to grant pattas for the entire land in their present possession. 

For this a survey has to be initiated. I had earlier written to the chief secretary to this effect also,” stated Thapa. 

Dubbing the issue as an “emotive issue,” Thapa in the memorandum to the secretary, Land and Land Reforms Department wrote “keeping in mind the sentiments of our people, in my capacity as Chief Executive, Gorkhaland Territorial Administration request as well as demand that a survey starts and pattas be distributed which is in and as per the current possession of our people, which also encompasses their agricultural land.” 

The department of Land and Land Reforms, Government of West Bengal in an order (Memo Number- 3078- LP/IA-03/17 dated 01-08-2023) to the District Magistrates of six districts of North Bengal has sent a proposal for granting homestead patta (land right document) on surplus/ unutilised resumed land of tea garden to the eligibility beneficiaries through a scheme. 

Homestead pattas will be granted to the eligible families upto the extent of 5 decimals of land. With this notification, the Hill Opposition parties have been crying foul. Following this Thapa wrote to the State to halt the ongoing process. 

A notification issued on Tuesday by the Land & Land Reforms department, Nabanna instructed the District Magistrates of Darjeeling and Kalimpong to withhold survey and other works related with respect to the scheme for distributing Pattas in tea gardens in the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration area until further orders. 

“The state has put the process on hold. The notification has to be repealed and not put on hold. On September 16, we will have a rally and a public meeting in Darjeeling,” stated Suraj Subba of the Joint Forum, a conglomeration of tea garden unions against the 5 decimal patta. 

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/anit-thapa-raises-demand-of-patta-for-entire-land-in-possession-of-workers-532772