Tension arose in Alipurduar when tribal residents tried to build houses on river char land, claiming it as ancestral property. Police reached the spot quickly and stopped the construction work to maintain law and order.
Tribal groups claim that about 900 bighas of land belong to their ancestors who left the area after a severe flood in 1967. They also alleged that soil is being illegally removed from the area for a national highway project and demanded the return of the vacant land. A heated argument took place between local Bengali residents and the tribal group during the incident.
The land and land reforms department stated that the disputed land is officially recorded as khas land in government records. Police explained to the tribals that occupying land without legal permission is unlawful and advised them to submit a formal application to the land department. The National Highway Authority reportedly paid royalty to the government for taking soil from this location. Police intervention successfully brought the tense situation under control, and tribals have warned of a major protest to reclaim their ancestral land.
