Siliguri Mayor holds meet with urban land distribution committees

Siliguri: After the Chief Minister’s instruction, Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC) started a survey for giving pattas to people living in ‘Uttaran’ (slum areas) under Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC).

In this regard, Gautam Deb, the Mayor of Siliguri, held a meeting with Urban Land Distribution Committees (ULDC) of Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri on Thursday.

A detailed discussion took place at the meeting. After completing the meeting, the Mayor said that surveys are ongoing. The SMC has a plan to urge Railways to provide their unused land to the state government so that the government can give patta to those people living on Railways land and the land to be used for needy people.

“There are numerous lands of the Railways which are abandoned. Illegal activities are going on in those areas. Many wards of SMC lie under Railway land. Therefore, we are planning to urge the Railways. But first, we will ask the state government to send a letter to the Railways. If the government does not send a letter and give us permission, then SMC will send a letter to the Railway department. If Railways hands over the land to us, we will give pattas and we can also use those lands for needy people,” said the Mayor.

There are around 1 lakh people who have been staying on Railway land under wards 24, 44, 43, 46, 42 , 2, 3 ,45 , 32, 33, 34, 35, 36. Within this, 10,000 pattas can be given to the people residing on Railway land. Surveys are going on with the officials of the Irrigation and Land department. Retired SMC workers have also been included in this survey. Survey reports will be prepared within a week.