Guwahati, Nov. 27: The Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) today claimed that the Assam government had promised to allot land pattas (occupancy documents) to all "indigenous landless people" who have been occupying government land "for ages" by February 28 next year.
The announcement came after a KMSS delegation, led by its adviser Akhil Gogoi, held a closed-door meeting with cabinet ministers at the Assam secretariat this morning. Panchayat and rural development minister Rakibul Hussain and revenue minister Bhumidhar Barman were among those present.
Akhil said the government also promised to create a new land policy in the next Assembly session and give land pattas to forest dwellers under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006. Decision was also taken to give land pattas to tea garden workers, small tea and rubber cultivators and to 64,000 landless people in the city, he said.
Akhil described the meeting as "argumentative yet cordial".
Chief minister Tarun Gogoi, who is in New Delhi, talked with the KMSS leaders over telephone during the meeting. "Based on assurances given by Gogoi on December 9, 2013, the meeting today decided to formulate a new land policy. The KMSS will draft it by December 15 and submit it to the government," Akhil said.
The KMSS began its protest march from central Assam's Nagaon district on November 20 to demand an end to the growing intolerance in the country and handing over of government organisations to private companies and solution of the farmers' problems. Around 5,000 marchers reached Khanapara, on the outskirts of Guwahati, today. It with culminate here tomorrow with a march to Raj Bhavan, where the protesters will submit a memorandum to governor P.B. Acharjya against the "anti-Assam stand by the Centre".
Akhil said the government also agreed to move Gauhati High Court to give it six months to start eviction in the extension areas of Kaziranga National Park. He said the government agreed to provide compensation and proper rehabilitation to those who will be evicted to expand the park.
"We welcome the state government's decisions. We will wait till February 28 to see whether it keeps its promises. If not, we will launch a strong protest," Akhil said.
The soft stand towards the KMSS has come at a time when Gogoi has sought help from the Gana Mukti Sangram, Asom, a political party floated by the organisation, to defeat the BJP.
Gogoi, however, did not talk about elections during the telephonic conversation, Akhil said. The KMSS submitted a memorandum to Gogoi through the ministers.
Addressing the chief minister as "Dear Gogoideo", the KMSS said, "The country was engulfed by an atmosphere of intolerance and non-Hindu communities are being prosecuted. The BJP-led government has created trouble by allowing groups like RSS, etc, to spread venom against different communities. In Assam too, these groups are trying their best to spread communal politics."
