HC Slams Govt Over 3000 Bigha Land Allotment to Private Company: 'Will You Give Away Entire District?'

Guwahati (The Uttam Hindu): The Gauhati High Court has expressed its displeasure and surprise over the allocation of 3,000 bighas (about 1,000 acres) of land to a private cement company in the tribal-dominated Dima Hasao district of Assam. While hearing a petition filed by 22 local residents, the court made a scathing remark, "What is happening? 3,000 bighas of land is being given to a private company... will the entire district be given away?"

During the hearing on Monday, Justice Sanjay Kumar Medhi said that the court was 'disturbed and shocked' by the allocation of such a large area of ​​land. The High Court also raised questions on whether environmental clearance was taken for this huge project. During the hearing, there was a heated debate between Justice Medhi and the state's Advocate General Debojit Saikia on why so much land was given to Mahabal Cement in an area falling under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.

When the counsel for the NC Hills Autonomous Council (NCHAC), which has jurisdiction over the land in question, produced some documents, the court directed them to produce the entire file. “Our purpose is not to see some papers but to see the entire file in which it was decided to allot such a large portion of land to a private firm,” Justice Medhi said.

The Advocate General told the court that the company had purchased the land at the rate of Rs 2 lakh per bigha and the state government had also formed a three-member committee to investigate the matter, which has submitted its report. The court has ordered the government to file its affidavit by today i.e. September 3 and has asked NCHAC to appear with the complete file in the next hearing.