Public Land Protection Cells Have Been Notified; Empowered To Redress Grievances Related To Encroachment: Assam Govt To Gauhati High Court

Assam Government has informed the Gauhati High Court that it notified the establishment of Public Land Protection Cells (PLPC) on May 24 for three different categories — Rural Areas, Municipal Areas other than Guwahati and Guwahati Municipal Area.

It was further told that the cells have been empowered to redress the grievances related to encroachments over pasture land, catchment areas, ponds, rivers, lakes, public places, burial grounds etc.

The division bench of the Chief Justice Sandeep Mehta and Justice Suman Shyam observed:

“We feel that with the constitution of these cells, the grievances of public at large pertaining to encroachments upon these categories of land would be redressed at the earliest and the litigants would not be compelled to rush to the courts. We appreciate the efforts made by the State Government in issuing the notification with the hope and trust that the cells will function efficiently.”

Earlier, the court in another PIL had directed Assam Government to issue the requisite notification for formation of PLPC in each district to deal with complaints pertaining to encroachments on government land.

The court directed the present petitioner, who has raised grievance of encroachment upon Kabarsthan land, to approach the PLPC concerned for ventilating his grievances.

It further said that the PLPC shall address the grievance of the petitioner in light of the notification and hear the parties concerned before taking any action of dispossession etc.

“The complaint may be filed by the petitioner along with the copy of this order within a period of 15 (fifteen) days from today whereupon the PLPC after hearing all the parties concerned and making the necessary enquiries, shall decide the same by a reasoned order within a period of 3 (three) months from the date of receipt thereof. In case, the petitioner is aggrieved of the reason so passed, the petitioner shall be at liberty to assail such order as per law,” the Court said.

Case Title: Sri Nasir Khan & 6 Ors. v. The State of Assam & 32 Ors.

Coram: The Chief Justice Sandeep Mehta and Justice Suman Shyam

Click Here to Read/Download Judgment