Land revenue scam in Assam, lakhs collected through forged receipts in Tinsukia

A major land revenue fraud has come to light in Tirap Mouza under the 83rd Margherita Legislative Assembly Constituency of Tinsukia district of Assam, exposing the exploitation of vulnerable Adivasi and tea tribe communities through unauthorized and counterfeit revenue collections.

According to reports, two individuals Ganga Chetry and Hemanta Bhattarai, both residents of Ledo Bisa Gao have allegedly been collecting land revenue illegally from unsuspecting villagers by issuing fake receipts and using counterfeit seals. The victims primarily belong to the socio-economically weaker sections of Adivasi and tea garden communities.

The scam involved the collection of Rs 2,500 per bigha, despite the Assam government having halted offline land revenue collection since 2020 as part of its digital governance reforms. The fraudulent practice reportedly continued for several years undetected, leading to the siphoning of lakhs of rupees from innocent landholders.

The matter was brought to light by the regional units of the All Assam Adivasi Students’ Association (AASAA) and the Assam Tea Tribes Students’ Association (ATTSA). Following an internal investigation, both organizations submitted a memorandum to the Margherita Circle Officer and the Co-District Commissioner, urging immediate legal action against the accused.

Also read: Illegal encroachments on government, satras, naamghars and forest lands to be cleared out in phases: Assam CM

Speaking to the media, leaders of AASAA and ATTSA expressed outrage over the scam, questioning how such large-scale fraud could take place in a state that claims to uphold digital and smart governance practices.

“When the state government talks about transparency, how did such blatant forgery go unnoticed in Tirap Mouza?” asked a representative from the Adivasi student body.

The accused, Ganga Chetry and Hemanta Bhattarai, are currently absconding, even as local law enforcement and district authorities are being pressed for swift action.

Both AASAA and ATTSA have warned of escalating their agitation if arrests are not made promptly.

“We demand the immediate arrest of these fraudsters. If the administration fails to act, we will be compelled to launch strong, intensified protests,” said a joint statement by the Margherita regional committees.