25 acre govt land recorded in influentials' name

The irregularities done in 2002 and 2003 by officials at the Land Settlement Office were detected during the ongoing land survey being done by a team from the land ministry.

The lands are in Nilphamari Municipality area (town mouja), Nilphamari Bazar Mouja, Itakhola Mouja and Kanial Khata Mouja, according to sources in the survey team and at the Land Settlement Office.

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The lands, earlier recorded as 'vested property' or 'khas land', have been under illegal possession of the influentials, who built structures on those.

The team has given reports to the Land Ministry Secretary, Divisional Commissioner of Rajshahi, Director General of Land Record and Survey in Dhaka, Zonal Land Settlement Office in Rangpur and to Nilphamari Deputy Commissioner, the sources told this correspondent on Thursday.

Nilphamari Deputy Commissioner Rabindra Nath Roy Chowdhury said he has directed authorities concerned to recover the government lands and take action against the persons responsible.

A letter has been sent to the Zonal Land Settlement Officer in Rangpur in this regasrd, he said.

This correspondent tried to contact Zonal land Settlement Officer Abdus Salam in Rangpur. Sources at the office said he was on leave. Land Settlement Officer-in-Charge Dulal Shah said he took over office a few days back and declined to say anything in this regard.

As per the survey team's report, the lands are 12 .74 acres in Nilphamari Mouja, recorded in favour of 54 people; 9.74 acres in town mouza, recorded in favour of 35 people; 2.17 acres in Itakhola Mouza, recorded in favour of 4 persons and 0.10 acre in Kanial Khata Mouja, recorded in favour of one person.

Sources at the land Settlement Office said most of the people occupying the lands enjoy blessings of powerful groups having links with political parties.