Public Urged to recover government lands

Many  properties of the government like homestead, commercial, cultivatable and water bodies were grabbed by some influential and   dishonest  people due to lack of proper care by the public servants, it is alleged.

A section of dishonest officials and some loopholes of the law in vogue are mainly  responsible for the lapses.

During a recent visit to some rural and urban markets of the district to observe the market prices of the commodities this correspondent observed that property of the markets was somehow occupied by some influential people since long. These markets are located under three upazilas of the district.

While visiting Baradi weekly market under Meherpur sadar upazila, it was found that the market was running on 60 decimals in seven plots under Baradi Mouza, Khatian No. 1, according to office source. As per official record, Mustak son of Abdul Masud Molla, Abdul Mannan and Golam Mortuza, Anwar Hossain Mollah son of Late Ansar  Ali Mollah of neighboring village Kalaydanga, Doud Hossain son of late Korban Ali of village Barshibaria, Akbor Ali, Korban Ali sons of late Afil Mollick of village Baradi, Atiar Rahman, Aminur Rahman, Anisur Rahman and Dr. Ahsan sons of former Tahsildar  late Abu Bakar Miah   of village Patkelpota  and Nazrul Islam, Abdus Sobur, Manik and Kazol sons of former UP chairman late Sirazul Islam alias Zamidar Siraj of village Kalaydanga, Monjur Kader son of late Tara Chand of Mominpur, Karim, Rahim, Jabbar sons of Shadhu of Baradi bazaar  under sadar upazila of the district allegedly grabbed nearly 2 acres of Baradi rural market land located beside Meherpur-Chuadanga highway. They had constructed building there with no lawful authority, locals said. Some of the lands already sold out to others.

After abolishing the Zamindari system a vast tract of land  had been acquired to set up an agricultural farm which is now Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation’s Farm at Baradi from where two acres of land beside highway earmarked for Baradi weekly market.

During the time of land settlement it was recorded in the SA Khatin in favour of the government.

Pirozpur Union Land office is situated on the land. A part time office of the Chairman of Pirozpur Union Porishod and office-cum-residence of the then Block Supervisor now Deputy Assistant Director of Agricultural Extension Department was allegedly built on the land with no lawful authority. No officials from the Agricultural Extension Department resides here.

People of maximum villages of Pirozpur union porishod have been getting various services including the services of community clinic from here. Some unruly people constructed tin shed house grabbing the haat land using the wall of temporary office of Pirozpur union porishod.

Tarnishing the front-view of the Priozpur Union Land Office a semi-pucca building was constructed illegally.

So many government officers of revenue department including the deputy commissioners had inspected the  union land office repeatedly since Pakistan rule to date but they did not have a little perplexity  about the grabbing of public property. Rather they extended their cooperation to grab the land in exchange of illegal presentation, commoners opined.

It has learnt that once the designated Land Assistant Officer (Tahsilder) along with Surveyor, after measuring the land laid demarcation pillars and sent written report to concerned office in October 2003 with the recommendation of eviction but no action was reported. Now the file might be available in the deep freeze of the district administration.

As a result the illegal occupiers are  encouraged to grab more land showing thumb to the government.

The same pictures are prevailing  at the rivers Kazla, Bhairob, fens Patapuka, Chandbill, Teroghoria, Royakoli etc.

All the stories of grabbing public properties are in the knowledge of the public custodian, people said with dejection.

Talking to The Daily Observer many people of Baradi bazaar said, as the then Deputy Commissioner Delwar Hossain ordered to  demolish the illegal extended shed of temporary Pirozpur UP office. The people of the area had also requested the next Deputy Commissioner Mahmud Hossain   to implement the survey reports made in October 2003.

When this correspondent exchanged views with Mahmud Hossain Deputy Commissioner, he  told the Observer that he had been trying to find out the grabbed public land from the illegal grabbers after his joining here. By the by he had disclosed about the Royakoli fens under Mujibnagar upazila, that more than hundred acres had recorded in CS record as Shayrat Mohal (water body)  later it was decreased nearly half in SA record while in RS record it revealed only 4 acres as Khash land. How did the water body become the arable land and gave settlement, he questioned. However he lodged civil suit to the court for record rectification.

Now the sitting Deputy Commissioner Porimal Singh has already started to recover the public properties from the possession of the illegal grabbers. Meanwhile, he managed to take possession of some public lands from the claws illegal grabbers.

Talking to The Daily Observer the DC said that leave no stone unturned to recover the public properties from the illegal occupiers’ although some of them are taking shelter of the court seeking statuesque.