PVM: Government helping suspected infiltrators

GUWAHATI: Senior Supreme Court advocate and Prabajan Virodhi Manch (PVM) convener Upamanyu Hazarika has demanded a CBI probe into government facilities provided to suspected illegal immigrants in the riverine areas of Sipajhar in lower Assam's Darrang district.
"We demand a CBI probe into the corruption of government officials and others who have enabled encroachment of government and public land in Sipajhar," Hazarika said.Local farmers are being prevented from going to the fertile riverine areas to feed their cattle, he added.
The people living in the riverine areas of Sipajhar, however, claim they trace their settlement in the area back to 1978. PVM, on the other hand, claims the settlement began only from 1992-1993.
On December 21, locals of the area, members of PVM and activists of the Dakhin Paschim Gowal Santha and Sangrami Satirtha Sanmilan had vowed to organize a satyagraha on the 77,420 bighas of land they believed suspected illegal immigrants have "spread their tentacles" on.
While schools, health centres and anganwadi kendras have come up in the riverine areas under Sipajhar revenue circle, PVM demanded a probe into release of government funds for suspected illegal immigrants.
"The land belongs to the indigenous people. We have been forced to take this stand as the government continues to breach the laws in favour of encroachers," said Satya Rajbongshi of the Dakhin Paschim Gowal Santha.
"Settlement of a large number of people of dubious nationality has deprived the locals from making a livelihood out of the grazing reserves, used for grazing of cattle. Moreover, the indigenous people are facing harassment and threats from the encroachers," said Akash Kalita, publicity convener of the organization.