Statesman News Service
MALDA, 19 MARCH: A controversy has erupted against the land on which Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh is scheduled to lay foundation stone of the proposed Ghani Khan Choudhury Institute of Engineering and Technology in Malda on 26 March.
The Malda district administration has detected that a large quantum of tribal land has been bought ‘illegally’ to set up the institute without clearance of the West Bengal government. The Malda district magistrate Mr Sridhar Ghosh had instructed the land and land reforms department authority in the district to inquire into the matter. It has been found out that an agency appointed by the Ghani Khan’s family to obtain the land had not sought status report of the land as is necessary while purchasing bulk quantum of land.
The investigation also revealed that out of approximately 100-acres of land bought by the agency at Sukandighi and Maligram moujas, a large quantum of land belongs to 10 tribal families might have been deprived of proper compensation.
The land and land reforms department has prepared a report of land records to be submitted to the district magistrate on 22 March and suggest him to refer the issue to the scheduled caste and scheduled tribe welfare department to take legal action in the interest of the tribals.
It may be noted that one tribal family in Maligram had filed a case against the land deal in the Malda district court in the month of February. The civil judge (Jr Divn) first court on 10 February issued an injunction on 1.55 acres of the disputed land following the suit.
It is learnt that in reply to query from the union deputy education advisor (T) HRD Mr NM Das about the status of land on which the proposed institute was coming up, the Malda district magistrate Mr Sridhar Ghosh had on 9 February informed that the land bought by the agency was “recorded” and not “vested land”.
Speaking on the issue today the DM said: “If tribal people have been deprived and they appeal to me, I must look into the matter again so that their interest is protected”.
The South Malda MP Mr AH Khan Choudhury, who is the brother of the Late ABA Ghani Khan Choudhury, refused to get dragged into the controversy.
“I was not aware of any controversy regarding the land deal. All I know is that the Prime Minister is scheduled to lay ‘symbolic’ foundation stone at Sujapur for the institute and address a rally there as the land bought for the proposed technical university in Old Malda is not suitable to hold the PM’s public rally”.
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