Most beneficiaries in towns have not paid premiums

Two yardsticks for land settlement

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: A wonder of wonders! If a landless man gets settlement in a government land in Guwahati, he enjoys some relaxation in premiums. On the contrary, if a landless man gets settlement in a government land in any other town of Assam (not Guwahati) he will have to pay 1.5 times more than the government value of the land, let alone get a premium concession.

Landless people in the state got land settlements in government lands during the last BJP-led State government and before. However, due to high premiums, most people could not pay them. Thus, they have not got land rights as yet.

If a landless man gets a settlement on government land in Guwahati, he gets some concessions in premium. If the man has a building on the government land under his occupation, he gets no premium concession and has to pay the government value of the land. If the man has an Assam-type house, he has to pay 30 per cent of the government land value. And if the man has a shed, he has to pay 10 per cent of the government land value.

However, the case is quite different in the government land settlement in other towns in the state. The government does not give any premium concession while giving land settlements in towns other than Guwahati. Rather, a person has to pay 1.5 times more than the government value of the land. If the government value of land is Rs 1 lakh, a landless man getting settlement there will have to pay Rs 1.50 lakh.

When asked, State Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Jogen Mohan admitted the fact and said that most of the beneficiaries of the land settlement did not pay their premiums.

"We will look into the matter. My opinion is that the beneficiaries of land settlement in other towns should also get the premium relaxation facilities," he said.

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