The state government is busy evicting the land encroached by the poor families but what about the well-known contractors who are encroaching the land with the consent of the government.
Renowned contractor Mahavir Jain has filled at least 2 bighas of land in the bank of Brahmaputra in Bhutnath area in Guwahati and constructed two large godowns for his business purpose. At first, he used the cattle herders as a chain so that it cannot harm the construction work.
Mahavir Jain has given a picture to the local people that the godowns will be constructed to utilize for the construction materials used in the under construction bridge between Guwahati-North Guwahati. He also used the local youths and renowned contractor Prithani in this stone embankment construction work.
Allegations have been made by the local people that Mahavir Jain, at first, said that the construction materials used for the bridge will be stored in his godowns as the government purchased the materials from his company but it has come to light that he has started to fill up the land with thousands of cubic metre of soil since January at the site where Beach Festival used to be held at a time. It has also been alleged that he has also constructed boulder embankment in the banks of the Brahmaputra.
According to reports, Jain used labourers and middle-class businessmen of Kamakhya Gate in this huge construction work along with Prithani and Ashish Sikdar. It may be mentioned that, he has also used the cowherd in carrying sand and stone for the construction work of the godowns and embankments and also used as watchman during the time when the construction work is being carried on.
Unfortunately, there cannot be any government approval for the construction of godowns by filling the bank of Brahmaputra as no law has given any rights to the government to allow construction in the bank of the River but still Mahavir Jain demanded that the land has been owned by him and started the construction of the godowns since May. He has also constructed some huts for these cowherds so that they cannot complain against the construction work.
Notably, at the beginning of the construction work of the bridge, the cements used for the bridge construction was stored in one of this godowns but later on the construction company stored the constructions materials in another place at North Guwahati alleging that the rent of the godowns are much higher.
It has also come to know that these godowns have been given in rent to some business establishments of Fancy Bazaar to store ply, hardboard and other materials.
Meanwhile, Jain who has allotted the contract to the local youths and contractors of Kamakhya Gate to provide sand and stone through an agency, has been deceived by Jain as the payments for these works are still pending.
One of the contractors, Ashish Sikdar of Naranarayan Path in Kamakhya Gate has also lodged an FIR against Mahavir Jain on September 3 at Bharalumukh Police station as his payment has not yet cleared by Jain.
However, the matter has not yet investigated by the police as the office-in-charge who was given the responsibility to inquire into the incident has not received courage to summon Jain for investigation.
The question arise as who will interrupt this businessman from encroaching the city land to the River bank who keeps the administration and government in his hand by associating himself in different social work and other business.
