Construction on disputed land stopped

Statesman News Service

MALDA, Nov. 2: Malda administration today issued an order to “stop construction” on the disputed “enemy property” at Regent Park in English Bazaar town. After receiving a complaint, district magistrate Mr Chittaranjan Das sought a report yesterday from land and land reforms department. It was alleged that CPI(M)-backed promoters had grabbed the playground in ward number 24 under English Bazaar Municipality. The sub-divisional officer of Malda, Ms Arunima De, said: “Deputy land and land reforms officer and other officials today visited the spot and asked the promoters to stop construction. This was conveyed to police.”“The promoters could not show any valid papers such as deed of the land, permission from municipality for construction, and even the application for conversion of the orchard land to homestead land for construction,” Ms De said. Land Administrative Tribunal had issued an order on this land and it had been ‘‘vested’’ by government and lastly identified as “enemy property”, she said. The original landowner went to Pakistan before the Partition, officials said. Today, the district land and land reforms department officials informed the administration that “promoters had started construction on 3.1 acres (plot no.47) of land demarcating several plots of lands.” “A part of low-laying areas (Wet land - plot no 48) is undisturbed but it is to be filled in,” land officers told the administration. The district land and land reforms department has asked an officer to investigate the matter to know about the promoters who had claimed to be the landowners. “According to departmental papers, the land is an enemy property. We need to find out how did they (promoters) buy the land,” Mr NR Sen, district land and land reforms officer told reporters today.