SIRAJGANJ, Sept 17: Hundreds of ethnic community families are becoming homeless as there is no proper application of the rule on selling their ancestral lands in the district.
Subhas Mahato (pseudonym) has been living on a roadside government land in Naogaon Union of Sadar Upazila along with his wife and two children after selling their ancestral land four years back. He said he had to sell the land due to pressure from the local influential people though this type of sale is not permitted.
While investigating, it was known that about 50 families sold their lands in this way during the last four years. Now, they are passing miserable days. Besides, about 2,000 people sold half of their lands, but once they had homes.
Ethnic community leaders urged the authority concerned to monitor the proper application of the rule.
Sources said according to the Article 97 of State Acquisition and Tenancy Act, 1950, provision to submit application has been kept to sell and handover of the lands of ethnic communities. Any people of the community will have to mention the cause of the land sale to the revenue officer, and after this they can sell or handover the land.
Concerned people said the act was made to grab the lands of ethnic community people by threats.
Adibashi Forum sources said about 42,000 ethnic people live in 102 villages of the district. Of them, 90 per cent people live in Tarash and Raiganj upazilas.
District Revenue office sources said the ethnic community people submitted 100 applications to additional deputy commissioner (revenue) in 2015 for selling their lands. After verification, 75 applications were granted. In 2016, the application stood at 114 and of those, 81 were granted. In 2017, a total of 81 applications out of 91 were granted.
In the applications, they mentioned various reasons including their daughters' marriage, pilgrimage and meeting treatment cost for the sale of the lands.
Organising Secretary of Adibashi Forum, district unit, Paresh Mahato said due to lack of proper application, the ethnic community people are losing their habitats.
He alleged that against the application of land sale, the concerned officials don't verify different criteria. As a result, the ethnic community people become loser.
President of the forum's district unit Sushil Mahato said, the rule was made during British regime to protect their lands, but now it is being abused. As a result, the ethnic community people are becoming landless in great numbers. He informed they have decided to apply to the deputy commissioner describing that those who have only homestead and at least 3 bighas of land will be not be permitted to sell lands.
ADC (Revenue) Iftekhar Uddin Shamim said after they get application, they investigate whether the applicant to apply following any threat or allurement and whether they have required land. After this, they grant permission to sell the land.
While asked, he denied the violation of the rule. He said, "After getting application, we ask the upazila land officer to look into the matter. Later, we ask the union land officer to submit report. Based on the report, we grant permission for the land's sale."
He admitted that the abuse of the rule will turn the ethnic community people landless. He, however, put emphasis on the necessity of the rule.
