Dimapur, June 25 (EMN): Landowners of Nahorjan village, located along the Assam-Nagaland border, have dismissed the claim that ‘property worth in terms of lakh’ was damaged by miscreants at Karbi Anglong Kramsa Model village which appeared in the June 25 edition of the local dailies. They have termed the reports as ‘distortion.’
Addressing media persons at Circuit House in Dimapur on Sunday, the Naga land owners said that the land at Nahorjan village was purchased by various Naga individuals in consultation with the Nahorjan Village Committee. For the past 30 years, they have been cultivating in their purchased land although the ancestral land owners continue to be the village’s community.
“However in 2016 a person by the name of Augustine Kramsa had obtained land patta fictitiously with Assistant Land Settlement cum Revenue Officer (name withheld) of Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) headquarters and encroached the land illegally-for which the Revenue Officer was suspended,” the land owners told reporters.
On learning the ploy of said Augustine, the land owners had approached the district administration to settle the issue amicably. Accordingly, in December 2016 an agreement between the Nahorjan Village Committee and Augustine was signed: the latter agreed to return said land to the villagers in accordance to the ‘Dag’ number and occupied land (Dakhal land) of the villagers, the land owners said.
The agreement’s memo was made available to media persons.
Instead of adhering to his agreement, it was alleged, Augustine continues to occupy the land while selling them to other parties and constructing more than 700 houses illegally.
Augustine was said to have been summoned by the Bokajan Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Court thrice. He appeared before the court only to the first summon and allegedly ‘wilfully failed to appear for the second and third summon,’ the land owners reported.
When queried on the whereabouts of Augustine, the land owners said they have been unable to reach him as he had been ‘illusive and arrogant’ while he and his party continue to possess illegal ‘patta’ (land deed).
Asserting that the land should be returned to its genuine land owners, they affirmed that individuals purchasing land from him should avoid doing so. Also, the land owners maintained that ‘Kramsa Model village which falls under Nahorjan village was recognised fictitiously by Augustine’.
Not denying the June 24 incident—it was reported that houses were torched—the land owners said that it was ‘done in close coordination with the Nahorjan Village Committee.’ However, only temporary thatched houses—not inhabited by individuals—which was constructed in their land was torched.
“We had to take this step because even after repeated demand to Augustine to evict the illegally acquired land, he has been encroaching the land damaging plantations worth in crores,” the land owners clarified.
Terming the news that appeared on June 25 as ‘distortion of facts,’ the affected land owners assured that ‘we are not against any council or creating unpleasant situation but seeking the intervention of the district administration.’
