Protection of tribal belts and blocks: Gauhati High Court issues deadline to Revenue Department to submit report

Guwahati: Irked by the repeated failure of the Revenue Department to provide details on the action plan to protect tribal belts and blocks, the Gauhati High Court on Tuesday gave the department an ultimatum to submit such details by May 17.

This was stated by the HC in connection with a PIL filed before it in 2019, alleging that the government has completely failed to provide protection to the tribal belts and blocks in the state, including those in BTR.  

Although the state government has provided details of some steps taken in districts within BTR, it has failed time and again to provide details regarding districts in other parts of the state, stating that a survey in these places has not been conducted as yet.

It should be mentioned here that a similar PIL was filed earlier in 2012. Although the PIL was concerned with areas within BTR, the HC took cognizance of the importance of the matter and decided to extend its ambit to other areas in the state, asking for reports regarding these areas also.

On Tuesday, the two-judge bench of Chief Justice Vijay Bishnoi and Justice Suman Shyam hearing the PIL was assured by the government’s counsel, Advocate General Devajit Saikia, that detailed reports, as sought by the HC, will be submitted before the next hearing. There are 17 tribal belts and 30 tribal blocks in 12 districts in the state. According to the All Assam Tribal Sangha, around 5.25 lakh bighas of land have been encroached upon in the tribal belts and blocks of the state. Recently, the Sangha organized its 39th triennial conference, during which a resolution was adopted regarding tribal belts and blocks. The Sangha urged the state government to immediately evict all illegal land occupiers from the tribal belts and blocks.

Notably, in earlier hearings, the HC observed that DCs have been enjoined with the duty to ensure that no ineligible persons get permission to acquire land within the protected belts and blocks. Consequently, the areas under illegal occupation by non-tribals and other persons who are not eligible to hold possession of land should be evicted after following due process of law.

Sources said that the state government had earlier conducted eviction drives in some tribal belt areas. A new policy has also been adopted for indigenous land rights, but till the time the 5.25 lakh bighas are illegally occupied, the problems of the tribal people will not be solved.

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