At many locations, government Primary school lands have fallen victim to encroachments. To address this issue, the Jalpaiguri District Primary School Council has initiated steps to identify and reclaim these lands. This decision was reached in a recent council meeting.
Furthermore, many schools possess land documents that have not been properly recorded (mutated) and so it was decided to expedite the mutation process. A dedicated team has been assembled for this task, and work has commenced promptly.
Laikshya Mohan Roy, Chairman of the Jalpaiguri District Primary School Council, stated: “Reports have surfaced indicating encroachments on the lands of several schools. The first step is to rectify the land documents before proceeding with any action. Subsequently, the land will be surveyed and verified, if necessary.”
Jalpaiguri district is home to a total of 1,288 Primary schools.
Among these schools, some are located on Forest department land, known as Forest Village Schools, while others occupy land allocated by the Refugee Resettlement Department (R&R Schools). There are approximately 400 such schools situated in the district. However, the remaining schools lack proper documentation, partial mutation of the school land while some school land is unmutated.
Consequently, despite the presence of land documents, reports suggest that several schools have suffered encroachments. This issue is prevalent in areas adjacent to Jalpaiguri town as well as the Dooars region. Addressing this concern, members of the Council recently convened an important meeting and decided to take swift action.
The absence of a boundary wall, often due to the lack of mutation, has hindered these schools from receiving government allocations for construction projects, posing a significant challenge.
Consequently, encroachments have occurred on the school lands.
Chairman Laikshya Mohan Roy elaborated, saying: “We have asked schools to categorise themselves and begin the process. For those with land documents, it is crucial to complete the mutation process.
Following this, the boundaries of the land will be determined through site visits to the respective schools. Initiatives will be launched to reclaim encroached land, with the possibility of engaging the Land Reforms office for assistance if necessary. This matter is of utmost importance and is being treated accordingly.”