GUWAHATI, June 19 � The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Assam Pradesh on Thursday accused the Tarun Gogoi-led Congress government of depriving the indigenous farmers and landless citizens of government land and instead allotting it to children, relatives and close aides of ministers and other powerful people.
Spokesperson of the party, Shiladitya Dev while addressing a press conference at the party head office here, urged the citizens of all districts to be vigilant and read the reports published by their respective district land advisory committees to detect any such anomalies.
Dev further alleged that state Minister for Irrigation and Soil Conservation, Dr Ardhendu Kumar Dey has grabbed a lot of farmland under Dholpukhuri block and Jugijan block in his name or in the name of his family members depriving the poor landless farmers of the area.
�Rampant corruption in allotment of land to the landless and in implementation of various government schemes is taking place due to the high-handedness of the Minister,� alleged Dev.
Dev said that on December 13 last year, the land advisory committee of Hojai sub division chaired by the subdivisional officer, Ranuj Kumar Borkotoky had cleared a government land bearing dag No. 378/386 with an area of one bigha one katha 14 lessa under Golaghatia Basti Gaon Panchayat in Hojai in favour of Dr Ardhendu Kumar Dey�s son Anirudh Dey violating all norms and rules.
�The possession of this land was with Hojai Harekrishna Namhatta Centre which is affiliated to the ISKCON,� informed Dev.
A makeshift Krishna temple was constructed in 1996 on this piece of government land and was looked after by the founder priest C Harasundar Das. Allegedly the minister�s wife Maya Dey who was associated with the temple subsequently evicted the priest and his family in 2002 and took control of the temple. Thereafter the temple was closed down for the public.
�The Minister managed to apply for allotment of this land in his son�s name. The Minister is also a member of the land advisory committee and was present at the meeting when his son was being favoured,� alleged Dev.
It needs to be mentioned that the BJP has demanded of the State government to institute a judicial inquiry regarding such irregularities and punish all those who are responsible for such criminal acts.
�The Minister should himself resign or the CM should sack him immediately. Moreover, this piece of government land should be retrieved and allotted to the landless or any organization,� insisted Dev.
The party will go to the High Court in this connection if the government fails to take action against the Minister, he said.
