The Kamtapur Peoples’ Party (KPP) (United) has come up with new demands and reiterated the old demand for the recognition of Kamtapuri (a variant of Rajbanshi) language.

On Friday, a delegation of KPP leaders reached the district magistrate’s office here and submitted there memorandums addressed to Union home minister Amit Shah and chief minister Mamata Banerjee.

“Acres of government land have been encroached on across north Bengal. We want the state government to clear the encroachments and distribute the plots among landless Kamtapuris (Rajbanshis) and migrant workers who do not own any land,” said Mahabendra Nath Roy, assistant secretary of the central committee of the party.

He said that after the Trinamool Congress had come to power, chief minister Mamata Banerjee constituted two language academies — Rajbanshi Bhasha and Kamtapur Bhasha Academy — for the propagation and conservation of the language.

“The state should merge these two academies and constitute a single academy. Also, options should be created for students so that they can study in the Kamtapuri language in the state-run and state-aided schools,” he added.

In the memorandum to Shah, the party has demanded the immediate installation of fences along the unfenced stretches of the India-Bangladesh border.

“There is no fence along a 200km stretch of the India-Bangladesh border in north Bengal. Considering the present situation in Bangladesh, fences should be put up immediately for the security of people living in Indian villages near the border,” Roy said.

“Also, the Centre should consider our longstanding demand of recognising the Kamtapuri language and include it in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution,” he added.

In September, the party will organise a public meeting in Siliguri to harp on their demands, the leaders said.