Hagrama Mohilary Distributes Land Titles to 793 Families in Kokrajhar

Our Correspondent

Kokrajhar: BTC chief Hagrama Mohilary on Saturday ceremonially distributed land titles to 793 families at a function held at Khangklabada field in Kokrajhar.

Organized by Integrated Tribal Development Projects, the land titles were given to the villagers of three gram sabhas, viz Bhaoragwja, Sonapuri and Amguri (Khangklabada) under Traditional Forest Dwellers Act, 2006.

Addressing the gathering, BTC chief Mohilary said the land titles were given under Traditional Forest Dwellers Act, 2006. He said that first preference was given to the tribal people who had been living in the forest for not less than 25 years. The land titles would also be given to other protected class of people and people belonging to general caste who have been in the forest since the last 75 years as per government guidelines, he said, adding that the distribution of land titles would continue once the process for survey work and official procedure was over. He expected that the distribution of land pattas to tribal forest dwellers would be completed within three months. He also said the process of giving land titles to the forest villagers in Rangapara, Dhekiajuli, Hugrajuli, Sootea in Sonitpur district, Khaki in Nagaon district and Merapani along the Nagaland border in Golaghat district was going on.

Mohilary said the villagers who had been living in the forest villages did not get any privileges from the government. He said that after getting the land titles, all villages would now be eligible for availing government schemes and other benefits. He also said that villagers who had received land titles under the act would have to follow some guidelines for planting trees in their land.

Minister of Soil Conservation Pramila Rani Brahma said that forest villagers were termed as encroachers before getting the land titles and no government scheme and development work reached there. She said the villagers would now be able to enjoy all privileges. Reminding people about global warming due to large-scale destruction of forest, she called upon all people to plant trees.

The public meeting, which was chaired by Circle Officer of Kokrajhar, Dwipen Barman was also attended by BTC EM Rajib Brahma, Kokrajhar DC Partha Pratim Mazumder and SP Rajen Singh.

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