GUWAHATI, July 18 - Social activist Dhiren Baruah, in his letter to the members of the high-level committee constituted to look into the issue of land settlement, stated that Guwahati, during the last 25 years, has witnessed large-scale transfer of land from the indigenous people to powerful business classes.
Further, the Ceiling Act has forced the majority of the local and indigenous land owners to sell their land to the richer people coming from outside the State, and, if the problem continues, then the indigenous people will be facing annihilation on the social, economic, cultural and political fronts.
Baruah also expressed concern over the trend of the state governments giving settlement to individuals, institutions at city wetlands, riverside and on the hills from time to time, in clear violation of the environmental and other laws.
