Guwahati: Chakma tribal landowners in Mizoram‘s Lawngtlai district are facing financial hardship after the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) allegedly failed to pay them compensation for land acquired for the construction of border outposts.
According to a letter written by David Chakma, a resident of Kamalanagar, Chawngte, a total of 456 Chakma families who depend on jhum cultivation for their livelihood have lost their land due to the construction of 14 border outposts by the MHA along the Indo-Bangla border.
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The land acquisition was carried out through NPCC Ltd., a public sector undertaking.
The Chakma Autonomous District Council (CADC) administration claims to have submitted a draft bill to the MHA seeking compensation of ?44 crore for the affected landowners in 2020. However, due to lack of funds, the CADC is unable to deliver the compensation to the affected families.
David Chakma alleges that the inaction by the MHA violates the Chakma tribes’ constitutional right to property enshrined in Article 300A.
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The loss of land for the border outposts has also impacted their ability to earn a living through traditional jhum cultivation.
The Chakma tribe is a majority inhabitant in Mizoram with a population of less than one lakh. They reportedly lack basic infrastructure facilities like proper drinking water, schools, roads, hospitals, etc., in the border areas where they reside.