Bengal govt returns lands to more than 61 people in Sandeshkhali

The local people had accused many of Shahjahan’s associates of grabbing their lands illegally.

MP, 27 Feb 2024 : The state government has returned land to more than 61 people in Sandeshkhali between February 22 and 24 after they were allegedly grabbed by Trinamool Congress (TMC) strongman Shiekh Shahjahan’s associates and have been reclaimed by the district administration of North 24-Parganas. 

The district administration acted promptly after many villagers from Sandeshkhali lodged complaints saying that their lands were captured by Shahjahan’s men in the restive areas of Sandeshkhali. The local people had accused many of Shahjahan’s associates of grabbing their lands illegally. 

The North 24-Parganas district administration opened a camp to receive the complaints from the villagers. The Land and Land Reforms department along with the district administration carried out investigations on each complaint of illegally grabbing of land. 

According to sources, lands have been returned to at least 61 people till February 24. More than 100 complaints of illegal land grabbing surfaced in Sandeshkhali. State Irrigation minister Partha Bhowmick while visiting Sandeshkhali on February 24 had assured the villagers that the state government would return land to all those whose land was illegally grabbed. Bhowmick had also urged the villagers whose land was taken away illegally to submit an application in the District Magistrate (DM) office. 

The minister had assured that the matter would be resolved. The police administration had recently reclaimed a ground which was allegedly captured by Sheikh Shahjahan’s associates. Bhowmick along with State Fire Services minister Sujit Bose and local MLA Sukumar Mahato visited trouble-torn Sandeshkhali on February 24 to take stock of the situation. They listened to the grievances of the local people and assured that issues would be resolved soon. 

Some local people told the ministers that a portion of the irrigation canal was grabbed by Sheikh Shahjahan associates and was transformed into Bheris as a result the local farmers used to face difficulties. 

The Irrigation minister Bhowmick directed his department officials to reclaim a portion of canal that was captured and made into a part of a Bheri. Trinamool Congress national secretary Abhishek Banerjee had sent out a strong message that the party would not tolerate any sort of hooliganism and each piece of land that was illegally grabbed would be given back to the owners. The district administration had received complaints not only on land-related disputes but also related to extortion. 

Courtesy & source- Millennium Post

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/bengal-govt-returns-lands-to-more-than-61-people-in-sandeshkhali-553813