JORHAT, April 28 - Over 200 members and supporters of Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) today staged a protest in front of the office of Jorhat Deputy Commissioner demanding immediate cancellation of allotment of agricultural land for a commercial educational institution at the historic Malowpathar.
The KMSS had earlier appealed the State government to protect the area only for agricultural activities, the officials did not pay heed to them and allowed construction of big buildings for the institution.
According to KMSS adviser Akhil Gogoi, the process of allotment was completely illegal and the officials concerned of administration only served to fulfil the interest of a group of traders in this regard.
Criticizing the State government for not taking any initiative to stop the process of �illegal� reclassification of agricultural land as commercial land, Gogoi said that they would be compelled to shut down the institution to protect the interest of the farmers.
Besides KMSS, several conscious citizens of Jorhat have demanded the State government to order the authority concerned to cancel the illegal allotment of agricultural land for commercial purposes in Malowpathar and some other agrarian areas in the district as the gangs of land-grabbers and corrupt government officials had already reclassified the fertile paddy fields as �non-agricultural land� by violating legal provisions and compelled the farmers to sell it to businessmen for profit-making purposes.
According to KMSS, agricultural land of several areas of the district were illegally handed over for commercial purposes to some traders who intend only to make profit, undermining the greater interest of the peasants of the areas.
