Mizoram government is making efforts to cancel all land pattas illegally allotted to individuals to own a plot of land in Aizawl where Assam Rifles headquarters is located, state land revenue and settlement minister Lalruatkima said.
Minister Lalruatkima on Thursday said the State Cabinet, headed by chief minister Zoramthanga in March 2019, had already decided to cancel all Land Settlement Certificates (LSCs) given to private parties, which are occupying plots at Lammual area or Assam Rifles ground in Aizawl.
He said the central committee of Young Mizo Association (Central YMA), the largest civil society organisation in the state, filed Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in a court challenging the land rights of individuals at Lammual.
“The government is yet to cancel the land pattas allotted to individuals as it is waiting for the court judgment,” he said.
Earlier, Lalruatkima alleged that at least 50 people were illegally awarded land settlement certificates on Assam Rifles land during the erstwhile Congress governments.
He said the previous MNF government had passed a legislation prohibiting issuance of such certificates on Assam Rifles land here.
On February 19, 2019 the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had directed the Assam Rifles to shift its battalion headquarters from Aizawl to Zokhawsang by May 31 that year.
Zokhawsang is located about 15 km on the eastern outskirt of Aizawl.
Despite the Centre’s directive, the country’s oldest paramilitary force has not shifted its base to the designated place Zokhawsang till date.
The Assam Rifles headquarters has been located on a vast stretch of land in the heart of Aizawl since 1917.
It has bases at Zodin (Lammual) and Khatla area in Aizawl.
The MNF government had demanded shifting of Assam Rifles’ headquarters to Zokhawsang in 1988 after the security forces killed seven civilians.
Meanwhile, an official said that chief minister Zoramthanga has recently written to the Union home ministry, to expedite the relocation of Assam Rifles headquarters to Zokhawsang.
Lalruatkima also told the assembly that at least 1,863 court cases (civil) and 1,804 land dispute cases are yet to be disposed under the land revenue and settlement department.