Guwahati, The Gauhati High Court said the Assam administration appears to be “misusing” the law while demolishing 21 dwelling units on private agricultural land in Goalpara district.
Hearing a petition filed by 21 people whose houses on their own farmland were razed to the ground earlier this month, Justice Devashis Baruah said that prima facie, it showed that there was no imminent danger to justify such drastic action of demolishing houses on private land.
The high court granted the district commissioner as well as the circle officer an opportunity to file affidavits regarding the proceedings. The judge asked the authorities to file a response to this additional affidavit, after which the court will decide on compensation for the victims if the demolition exercise undertaken by the district commissioner and the circle officer is found to be unauthorised by law. The high court has fixed the matter for the next hearing on October 13. The court cited the Assam Agricultural Land Act, 2015, under which no permission is required from the deputy commissioner when agricultural land, not exceeding one bigha, is intended to be used or transferred for construction of one’s own dwelling house, provided the construction is limited to a two-storey structure.
