Feb. 6: Residents of Patgaon village and members of Sangrami Krishak Sramik Sangha gheraoed the Azara circle office today to protest against the eviction notice issued to 35 families.

They also submitted a memorandum demanding alternative land for the families.

In 2008, Dispur allotted 60 bighas of ceiling surplus land in Patgaon village to the Krishna Kanta Handique Open University, the first open university of the state, to shift from its temporary campus at Wireless.

The university became operational in 2005.

President of the Sangha, Dinesh Das, said, “We have no objection to the university coming up in this area. However, since the dwellers are landless, they should not be asked to vacate until alternative arrangements are made. The major part of the ceiling surplus land, which is vacant, can also be utilised to set up this university.”

On February 2, Nibedan Das Patowary, Azara revenue circle officer, issued an eviction notice to 35 families who have been residing on a part of the ceiling surplus land.

According to the notice, these 35 families were given a week to leave the area. However, Das said of the 35 families, four households had received housing and free electricity under government schemes.

“After receiving the memorandum, we have asked them to prove that they do not have land under any other circle. Only then we can sort out an alternative land for them. We have also asked the four families to produce relevant documents to show that they are beneficiaries of government schemes,” Patowary said.

According to Das, of the 140 bighas of ceiling surplus land of Patgaon village, an approximate 35 bighas are occupied by around 150 families.

“Most of the residents here are daily wage earners and these families have been residing here for the past 30 years,” he said.

According to the state government’s Land Ceiling Act in force in the rural areas only, a person or family cannot own more than 50 bighas of arable land and four bighas of land for residential purpose. If a the person holds land beyond this limit, the excess area goes to the state government that has the liberty to hand over the land to landless people or use it for other purposes.

Ratul Kumar Patowary, assistant registrar of the university, said, “The land was allocated to us by the government and I’m sure they will sort out the mess.”