CPI (M) protests at Maligaon
Soumyadeep Das
Demanding a backtrack on the decision to lease 58 bighas of land belonging to the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) in the city to three businessmen, the Communist Party of India-Marxist’s (CPI-M) Guwahati unit on Wednesday organised protests in front of NF Railway offices in Maligaon.
The Central government is believed to have leased 58 bighas in total of prime land in two separate locations in Guwahati to three businessmen named, Rishi Gupta, Uttam Bedia and Arun Bajaj. The deal to lease the lands for a period of 99 years is reportedly worth close to 100 crores.
The decision to lease the two plots of land, one at the junction of GNB Road and Ananda Ram Baruah Road in Pan Bazaar, measuring 40 bighas, and another measuring 18 bighas near the Ambari roundabout diagonally opposite to TC School, came from the Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA) under the Ministry of Railways.
CPI (M) leader Suprakash Talukdar said, “We demand that the decision to lease 58 bighas of land belonging to the railway department to three businessmen without the knowledge of the public be taken back. “
Speaking further, Talukdar said, “The decision has come from RLDA in Delhi. In that regard we have submitted a memorandum to the Railway minister”.
“The decision has to be taken back, if not, then we will be forced to continue our protests in the future,” he added.
Accusing the NF Railway of practically handing over lands at prime locations at a comparatively nominal price, without public knowledge, CPI (M) organised protests demanding a reversal of the decision.
In that regard, a memorandum to Railway Ministry was submitted today, apart from organising protest at Maligaon.
The memorandum stated, "CPI (M) registered its protest against such privatisation of Railway properties leasing out and handing over of public properties to private players. This highly objectionable action of the RLDA (Rail Land Development Authority) goes against the interest of the people of Assam and the country as a whole.”
It added, “The Railway properties must be utilised for public good, not for loot and plunder by a few private businessmen. We, therefore, urge you to use your good offices and intervene on the issue immediately. We demand that the RLDA action with regards to the leasing out of the land of Assam be withdrawn immediately and the so-called "Lease Agreement with private business be cancelled."
