Assam: Coal land dispute sparks demolition controversy in Margherita

A family home demolition in Assam's Margherita has ignited tensions over disputed land rights, with student activists alleging selective enforcement against poor residents while illegal industrial operations continue unchecked.

 

The controversy centres on B Type Nepali Field in Ledo, where an 80-year-old family settlement was demolished using heavy machinery by Karnol Gogoi, according to the All Assam Adivasi Students Association (AASAA). The family, headed by elderly resident Ji Nitai, had occupied the site for eight decades before their house was razed without village panchayat approval.

 

AASAA General Secretary Jarnel Minz questioned the authority behind the demolition, particularly given that similar enforcement has not targeted numerous brick kilns and coke ovens operating across Margherita, Ledo, and Bargolai areas. These industrial units allegedly operate on land claimed by AR & T. Company Limited, though the company's agreement with the Assam government has reportedly expired.

 

The student body has challenged BB Sahu, identified as an agent of Tirap Colliery under North Eastern Coalfields Limited, over his role in land disputes. Minz accused Sahu of targeting vulnerable families in thatched homes while ignoring large-scale coal smuggling operations that allegedly use trucks to transport coal through Ledo's brick kilns at night, crossing railway lines.

 

The demolition has raised questions about enforcement priorities, with AASAA noting that while North Eastern Coalfields struggles to obtain village panchayat permission for routine activities, unauthorised demolitions proceeded without local approvals. The Ledo police outpost also reportedly was not consulted before the family's home was destroyed.

 

AASAA has demanded that authorities first address illegal industrial operations before targeting poor families' homes. The organisation has called on the Assam government to issue land patents to residents of the 83rd Margherita Constituency who have lived on disputed AR & T Company land for over a century.

 

The Tinsukia district committee of AASAA has threatened militant action against North Eastern Coalfields Limited if their demands remain unaddressed. Attempts to reach officials at NEC CIL Margherita for comment were unsuccessful.