The nine land owners in question are reportedly Trinamool Congress workers and have accused GJM chief executive and Gorkha Janmukti Morcha president Bimal Gurung of forcibly taking away their plots without compensating them adequately.
The district administration took cognisance of the complaints and clamped section 144 of the CrPC on 13.18 acres of land at Jamuney owned by the nine land owners in question.
“We have received complaints from nine persons from Jamuney who have alleged their land was taken forcibly by the GTA citing development work. Following an investigation we found the land in question belongs to the nine complainants. We have imposed section 144 of the CrPC there,” said Darjeeling DM Puneet Yadav. The district administration fears trouble could erupt over the issue as it is highly possible the matter could take a political turn.
“We want the law and order of the state to be followed and peace to prevail. There are ways to take over land for whatever purpose, but use of force is not one of them in a democratic country,” added Yadav.
The prohibitory order will continue to be imposed in the area for 60 days after which the district administration will review the matter again.
“We will review the issue again after 60 days and all work being undertaken by the GTA there will remain under suspension. The GTA however, can continue their development work in the adjoining areas provided the properties are not forcibly taken away and due compensation is paid to the rightful owners,” said Yadav.
Manilal Tamang, part owner of the 13.18 acres of the farmland under contention, said he and the remaining owners had filed a complaint against the GTA for taking possession of the land without providing them compensation.
“We were promised to be compensated according to the prevailing value by the GTA for the land away. The GTA’s project started in 2011, but we have not been compensated till now. We are poor people and depend on agriculture for our livelihood, but with no land we are now forced to survive doing various menial works,” alleged one farmer.
Tamang owns 1.5 acres of agricultural land at Jamuney, while his relatives have some 8 acres for mostly growing paddy.
“Now we are not interested in selling our land because we know that we will not be compensated by the GTA. In fact, our demand is that the GTA pay us compensation in retrospect for the crops we could now grow for more than three years,” he said.
The GTA is developing the Jamuney area, which is surrounded by high hills and its enthralling beauty is a feast for the visitors. Right in the middle, there is a lake that offers boating facilities and cottages for those interested to halt overnight. The GTA has also been organising its ‘Krishi Melas’ and cultural programmes at the spot every year. Besides, there are plans to build a Mughal garden, two Olympic-size swimming pools and a water kingdom to attract tourists to this relatively secluded area.
When contacted, GTA tourism department member-on-duty Dawa Lepcha refused to elaborate on the issue but said, “Official correspondence in this regard is in progress. But about the present situation I have not much idea as I have not gone to my office because of the prevailing election model code of conduct”.
TMC (Hill) spokesperson Binny Sharma implied political reasons behind the GJM led GTA developing the work there. “The land owners that have filed the complaint are all TMC supporters and as such we will stand by our people. There are several other unwanted land plots but the GTA is focusing only on Jamuney and this smells of a bigger ploy. We will not tolerate the use of muscle power to take over people’s land,” he said.
GJM leaders argued that the process of surveying the valuation land was in progress and that land owners would be compensated after the Lok Sabha election got over. “Survey for the valuation of the land is still under process after which we had decided to give the compensation but it has been stalled because of the election,” said GTA sabhasad Kaziman Lohagun.(EOIC)