2,200 hectares govt land encroached by Sonitpur TEs

BISWANATH CHARIALI, May 28 ? Vast areas of government lands have remained under encroachment of the tea gardens in Sonitpur district which, if regularised, may earn huge revenues for the government. According to a report, over 2,200 hectares of fertile land have been illegally occupied by 47 small and big tea estates of the district. It has been learnt that the Pratabghur tea estate, owned by Williamson & Magor Company, encroached upon over 50 bighas of land of the historic Burhamadhav Devalaya in 1982 and used the land for plantation. The lands under dag Nos 508 and 610 were earlier acquired by the State government from the Devalaya under Ceiling Act and, before encroachment, were occupied and cultivated by some tea tribes people. The occupants, who had been paying revenues for the lands, filed a case against the tea estate and the SDO (Civil), Biswanath also issued a notice directing the garden to clear up the encroached lands. The garden authorities, however, did not pay heed to the government order. Reports received here stated that more than 443 hectares of government land have been occupied by the tea estates in Biswanath subdivision. While Gohpur subdivision has recorded maximum encroachment with over 1,119 hectares, more than 716 hectares have been encroached in Tezpur subdivision. In Biswanath, the individual figures are estimated at Sakomato Tea Estate (88.93 ha), Monabari Tea Estate (72.26 ha), Borgang Tea Estate (11.60 hg), Pavoi Tea Estate (15.73 ha), Baghmari Tea Estate (40 ha), Dhulie Tea Estate (108.93 ha), Kettla Tea Estate (5.33 ha), Rangagarh Tea Estate (4 ha), Mohalakshmi Tea Estate (30.93 ha), Jinjia Tea Estate (95.20 ha) and Pertabghur Tea Estate (70.60 ha). The figures of areas encroached in Gohpur subdivision are reported to be 246.80 hectares by Halem Tea Estate, 45.80 hectares by Gohpur Tea Estate, 42.80 hectares by Naya Ghagra Tea Estate, 162.40 hectares by Brahmajan Tea Estate, 31.73 hectares by Nirmala Tea Estate, 251.3 hectares by Mikirjan Tea Estate, 53.33 hectares by Bholaguri Tea Estate, 5.33 hectares by Buroi Tea Estate and 242 hectares by Dufflagarh Tea Estate Tarajuli Tea Estate in Tezpur subdivision tops the list with 170 hectares of encroached land, while others are as follows: Phulbari Tea Estate (144 ha), Singari Tea Estate (73.73 ha), Kacharigaon Tea Estate (71.86 ha), Arun Tea Estate (60 ha), Panbari Tea estate (37.33 ha), Darrang Tea Estate (26.66 ha), Dhekiajuli Tea Estate (22.6 ha), Hugrajuli Tea Estate (18.53 ha), Sonajuli Tea Estate (3.73 ha), Ghagra Tea Estate (7.46 ha), Bindukuri Tea Estate (7.73 ha), Hirajuli Tea Estate (3.70 ha), Narayanpur Tea Estate (3 ha), Tulip Tea Estate (6 ha), Sirajuli Tea Estate (.80 ha), Shyamguri Tea Estate (5.33 ha), Manmohinipur Tea Estate (4 ha), Tinigharia Tea Estate (10 ha), Pabajuli Tea Estate (4.93 ha), Rangapara Tea Estate (11.20 ha), Belguri Tea Estate (8.66 ha), Boindai Tea Estate (13.60 ha) and Adabari Tea Estate (2 ha). It has also been reported that two tea gardens of Biswanath subdivision have been wreaking havoc on the Gohain Kamal Ali by using its soil for bagging and other purposes. While the historic road has been lacerated with massive earth-cutting, a series of ramparts at Pratapur near Petulibari has also been damaged by a vested section of people by digging soil, building houses and planting tea saplings.