Asom Governor keen to provide land document to landless

Guwahati, Dec 1 (UNI) Asom Governor Lt Gen (retd) Ajai Singh has shown keen interest to provide legal land documents to the landless people of the state.

Mr Singh, who received a memorandum from the state CPI unit on Wednesday, discussed the party's demand of providing legal land documents to the people who have already submitted petitions with party leaders yesterday, sources said.

He had enquired about the estimated number of petitioners and asked the party leaders to provide him the list district-wise if possible, they said.

Over 10 lakh landless people were occupying government and forest land and earning their livelihood through various cultivations.

Most of these people were either displaced by river erosion, flood or fragmentation of families during the past few decades, the party claimed.

''People have been living in Doiyang reserve forest for over 50 years without having any legal land right. They have set up schools and other modern facilities were also available there. They even have voting rights,'' Mr Borgohain said.

CPI leaders today expressed happiness that the governor is keen to provide the much sought legal documents to the applicants.

The deputy commissioner has the right to allocate up to eight bighas of land in rural areas to each applicant after verification of occupancy, sources said.

The CPI memorandum addressed to the Prime Minister also included demands for special economic package for drought affected people, industrialisation, employment, modernisation of agriculture sector, food security for BPL families, regular supply of electricity and political settlement of insurgency problem.

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