Guwahati, Feb. 19: Manipuri residents of the city, concentrated in the Manipuri Rajbari area, have remained a backward community as a result of government apathy and neglect. The locality is popularly known as Manipuri Basti.

The residents trace the roots of their problem to the lack of proper pattas for the land they own in the heart of Guwahati.

Manipuris from Manipur and other parts of Assam, like Cachar and Hojai, had settled in Manipuri Rajbari, a plot of land covering 13 bighas, that was purchased by the erstwhile king of Manipur, Maharajah Churachand Singh, over 100 years ago during the time of the British empire.

There are nearly 100 households at Manipuri Rajbari, most of which do not have pattas at all.

“Due to this problem, we are economically backward. We cannot take loans from the Assam government or banks as we have nothing to offer as collateral,” said N. Sorojini Devi, a resident of Manipuri Rajbari.

Barring those who are employed in the government, most of them cannot even sign a bail application if anyone from the locality is arrested.

Sorojini and other residents, however, see a ray of hope as some of them have started acquiring pattas after Manipur’s royal family sold them plots of land.

“In the middle of the Nineties, Maharaja Churachand’s grandson, Okendro Singh, sold the land to us. We are now trying to acquire proper pattas from the deputy commissioner,” said Leihao Devi, another resident.

However, the Assam government issues proper pattas only during settlement operations, which are held once every 30 years. Circle officer Apurba Nath said everyone here faces similar problems as the next settlement operation will probably be held around 2016.

“They (the Rajbari residents) can always approach the deputy commissioner as a special case, but they also have to apply for individual partition,” said Nath.

According to him, the 13-bigha plot of land at Rajbari is no longer with the Manipur maharaja as it had been transferred to private parties. Land records say, “Rajbari has 48 plots with 36 pattadars.” Seventy-nine-year-old Moirangthem Shyama Devi said a Manipuri from Cachar, Robi Singh, was the first to settle in Guwahati more than 100 years ago.