Ashok Singhal Issued Land Pattas In Protected Forest? Fresh Allegation Levelled

Minister Ashok Singhal is not free from controversies. After serious allegations against him about owning land in Tribal belt in Sonapur, which Assam legislative assembly LoP Debabrata Saikia highlighted with documents, fresh allegations against Mr Singhal providing land patta inside a wildlife sanctuary have been levelled. 

The Forest Protection Committee has alleged that Minister Singhal granted land pattas to encroachers in ecologically sensitive areas, including the Sonai Rupai Wildlife Sanctuary, in blatant disregard of court directives.

The committee claimed that the minister’s decision appears politically motivated, aimed at electoral gains, and undermines legal safeguards meant to protect the region’s forests and wildlife.

This move stands in stark contrast to earlier instructions by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who had ordered the eviction of illegal settlers from an area spanning 120 km in the Sonai Rupai Wildlife Sanctuary. Despite this, Minister Ashok Singhal reportedly issued land pattas to around 2,400 families who were supposed to be evicted, raising concerns that the decision was driven by vote-bank considerations.

The action has drawn sharp criticism from environmentalists and local watchdogs, who have demanded immediate government intervention to revoke the unauthorised land grants and ensure the preservation of these protected forest areas.

Also Read: Ashok Singhal's Land In Assam's Tribal Belt: Debabrata Saikia Reveals Documents