Guwahati, Feb. 27: The Krishak Sramik Unnayan Parishad (KSUP) today alleged that Jorhat deputy commissioner Virendra Mittal and agriculture department officials, in connivance with land mafia, had changed the classification of agricultural land to that of barren land within a short period of time to help real estate developers use them for commercial purposes.

The state's land laws stipulate that a plot of agricultural land should lie fallow for at least 10 years before it can be classified as barren.

KSUP president in-charge Mukul Bora said, "At a time when chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal has issued instructions to deputy commissioners and agriculture department officials to ensure that farmers are provided assistance to grow three crops in a year, some corrupt officials are bent on depriving farmers by classifying their agricultural land as barren or unfit for agriculture so that land mafia can buy them at a cheap price and resell them at higher rates to real estate developers. A huge plot of land, measuring 45 bighas, in the middle of Malow Pathar in Jorhat, an agricultural field spread over hundreds of bighas, has been reclassified as barren in less than a year by district officials, thus enabling land mafia to sell it to an organisation which has constructed Delhi Public School, Jorhat, there."

KSUP leaders said they had written to Sonowal and Mittal, demanding an investigation, and were also contemplating legal proceedings in Gauhati High Court.

Responding to the charges, Mittal said he had ordered an inquiry to be conducted by the ADC, revenue, into the case four days back.

"Moreover, this reclassification was done by the district-level committee headed by my predecessor and approved by the government before I took charge. But the government of the day has the power to reclassify barren/ agriculture land under relevant rules. Delhi Public School has also given an undertaking that the land will not be used for any purpose other than education, that seats will be offered to BPL students as envisaged under the RTE Act and it will employ local youths. Since there is an allegation, I have already ordered an inquiry," Mittal said.

Bora alleged, "The school is situated in the middle of Malow Pathar and we apprehend the surrounding land will become unfit for agriculture because of flooding as the drainage system of the school will send its waste water to the adjoining areas. In such an event, it will be easier for land mafia to grab these fields. This is also happening in Nagaon. "