DIBRUGARH, June 7 ? Following the personal intervention by Assam Minister Pradyut Bordoloi, a plot of land measuring about 119 bighas is all set to be handed back to the State by the Arunachal Pradesh administration. The SDO (Civil), Margherita, Ratul Chandra Duarah told The Assam Tribune that the land was being used by the erstwhile North East Frontier Agency (NEFA) to house educational institutions of the Tirap Frontier Tract soon after the earthquake of 1950. At that time, the land belonged to the Namdang Tea Company and was requisitioned by the assistant political officer of the Tirap Frontier Tract. In the last 20 years, the land was in disuse and the present owners of the Namdang Tea Company too became uninterested in the plot.
Earlier this year, the land was handed over to a Tinsukia based businessman by the district administration of Changlang. But the revenue officials objected to this, saying the plot rightfully belongs to Assam, and hence the Arunachal Government has to hand it back to the Assam Government, and not to a private individual. Prior to this, there was a TB hospital on the said plot, run by the Arunachal Government. The hospital has since been shifted to another place by the Arunachal administration. It is learnt that the Tinsukia district administration is interested to construct Government offices, quarters and a recreation park on the said plot of land. After Bordoloi intervened, the Arunachal Government is learnt to have expedited the land hand over process.