DIBRUGARH: The Tea workers under the banner of Assam Tea Tribe Students Association(ATTSA) on Saturday staged a protest in front of the office of Manohari Tea Estate here for allegedly planning to allot Manohari Tea garden “periodic patta” land to Dibrugarh Airport located at Mohanbari for the land acquisition process.
The workers of the tea estate ceased their work and protested in front of the Manohari Tea Garden office against the owner of the Manohari Tea estate, Rajen Lohia.
ATTSA alleged that the owner of Manohari Tea estate Rajen Lohia alleged planning to allot 175 bighas Tea periodic patta land to Mohanbari Airport.
“Earlier, he had sold 600 bigha Tea periodic Patta land to Mohanbari Airport for extension work. Now, with the help of corrupt officers of Dibrugarh district administration, he is planning to sell 175 bigha land to Airport”, alleged Lakhindra Kurmi, secretary of Dibrugarh ATTSA.
Also Read: Assam: Man accused of murder set on fire in Dibrugarh
He alleged, “The owner of the Manohari Tea estate had made 900 bigha tea periodic patta land to his name but after protest from ATTSA, his name has been cut off from the land patta. Some officers of District administration was hand in gloves with Rajen Lohia to do the process.”
“If his name was already in the jamabandi how could then his name be cut off from the jamabandi copy. It was a big land scam where many corrupt officers of the Dibrugarh district administration was involved”, Kurmi alleged.
Kurmi further said, “The land belongs to the poor Tea garden workers and they are giving the land revenue for that then how could the owner of the garden planning to sell the land,”.
Meanwhile, ATTSA demanded the resignation of Dibrugarh East revenue circle officer Jharna Jyoti Patgiri for her alleged involvement in the case.
Also Read: World’s deadliest sniper, ‘Wali’ joins Ukraine to fight against Russia
“The district administration should provide land pattas to the poor landless Tea workers but instead of doing that they are providing land to the Airport for land acquisition. We demand a high-level inquiry to the Assam government to unearth the big land scam,” Kurmi asserted.
The owner of the Monahari Tea Estate, Rajen Lohia, however, denied the allegation.
Lohia said, “No land was given to anyone, the Government is doing the survey work.”
On the other hand, the student’s Association submitted a memorandum to Dibrugarh Deputy Commissioner regarding the matter.