Agartala: Jan 13: Finance Minister Pranjit Singh Roy has revealed that 31.47 acres of government land in Agartala city are currently under illegal occupation. This information was shared in response to a question raised by Tipra Motha MLA Ranjit Debbarma during the 13th Assembly session on January 13. While the state government acknowledges the illegal occupation, it has no immediate plans to evict the occupants.
The Finance Department has clarified that strict actions are taken in accordance with Section 15 of the Tripura Land Revenue and Land Reforms Act, 1960, which regards unauthorized occupation of government land as illegal. This section allows for eviction by the relevant authorities and stipulates that if any buildings or constructions are not removed within a specified time, they may be demolished or confiscated by the government. Furthermore, unauthorized occupants can be fined up to six times the annual land assessment, with the fine recoverable as arrears of land revenue.
The law also allows these occupants the right to harvest and remove any unharvested crops after paying the fine. Additionally, the Tripura Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorized Occupants) Act, 1983, offers a legal framework for eviction, granting powers to District Magistrates to recover government land from unauthorized occupants.
Despite the existing legal provisions, the government has not disclosed immediate plans to carry out the eviction process. This situation highlights a significant issue of illegal land occupation in the state’s capital, Agartala, which may require further attention and action from authorities to protect government property.
