Land discrepancies alarm Jalpaiguri Zilla Parishad authorities

Jalpaiguri: The ledger shows 419.99 acres of land, but discrepancies are found in 1/10th of the total land. Furthermore, there’s no trace of structures, from bungalows to staff quarters.

Jalpaiguri Zilla Parishad (ZP) authorities raised concerns when they began marking the land before reclaiming the encroached areas. Officials from the department stated that the discrepancy isn’t confined to one area; the overall total could be higher.

According to Zilla Parishad data, there are 2.65 acres in Rajganj, 6.19 acres in Maynaguri, 5.68 acres in Bhotpatti, 65.87 acres in Dumdim, 65.87 acres in Meteli, 8.25 acres in Malbazar (Batai Gol), 10.48 acres in Lataguri, 71.14 acres in Goerkata, 16.02 acres in Dhupguri and 2.57 acres in Maulani. These sum up to 419.99 acres across 29 locations in the district.

The market sits on a significant portion of this land, generating annual revenue. Additionally, land from the Western Dooars Market Fund, established during the British era, was transferred to the Zilla Parishad in 2005.

However, many bungalows in places like Goerkata and Malbazar have disappeared, along with staff quarters.

Officials suspect a lack of monitoring has allowed individuals to take government land using forged documents.

Sabhadhipati of Jalpaiguri Zilla Parishad, Krishna Roy Barman, stated that measures will be taken to reclaim the land.

“We’ve received reports of land grabbing, primarily from Malbazar and Dhupguri. A special committee will be formed under the forest and land committee of the Zilla Parishad to address this issue. Legal action will be pursued to reclaim the land,” she affirmed.