The Jalpaiguri district administration on Monday began examining the long-pending land disputes in the Bangladesh-bordering areas of South Berubari in Sadar block on a priority basis.

The move comes following chief minister Suvendu Adhikari’s announcement in his first cabinet meeting on May 11 to hand over land to the Border Security Force (BSF) for the installation of fences along the Bangladesh border within 45 days.

On Monday, a joint team comprising administrative officials and surveyors from the district land and land reforms department visited areas under Chilahati village, including Bongram, Moringapara and Daker Kamat, where they interacted with residents on the unresolved land ownership issues.

Of the 19km unfenced stretch in South Berubari, around 15.5km remains affected because of land disputes. Only 3.5km is free from such complications.

Four villages of South Berubari — Chilahati, Barashashi, Nautari Debottar and Kajaldighi — became part of Indian territory during partition, and residents have been voting as Indian citizens ever since. However, these villages were not officially reflected as part of India on maps for decades. It was only after the 2015 India-Bangladesh enclave agreement that the villages were formally included in the Indian map.

Land acquisition in these areas has been an issue for the administration for decades, because many residents do not have mutation records in their own names. Their land records still carry references to the Boda police station in Bangladesh.

Unless the land is formally mutated in the names of the current occupants, they will not be able to legally transfer land to the BSF for border infrastructure projects. The land department has to update the records under Jalpaiguri’s Kotwali police station and issue mutation certificates in the names of the present occupants.

The chief minister’s announcement has raised hopes among residents that the decades-old legal tangle may finally be resolved.

On Monday, district officials also met BSF block officials at a local camp and held discussions with members of the Dakshin Berubari Simanta Nagarik Committee.

Joynath Roy, a resident of Bongram, said: “We are Indian citizens. Then why
is there such a delay in issuing mutation papers? However, we are hopeful after the
new government’s announcement.”

Sarada Prasad Das, spokesperson of the Dakshin Berubari Simanta Nagarik Committee, said the residents had submitted
old maps and land records to the land department during the previous government’s tenure.

Jitendranath Roy of Daker Kamat said surveys for border fencing and road construction had already been completed in their village, and residents were willing to provide land to the BSF. “However, without legal ownership documents, neither will we get compensation for our land, nor can the BSF begin construction work. We hope the administration will finally resolve the issue,” he said.

Sandeep Ghosh, the district magistrate, said the administration had already informed the state land and land reforms department about the matter.

“We have taken it up on a priority basis as per the chief minister’s instructions and hope the issue will be resolved with the state government’s guidance,” said Ghosh.