Assam govt to file review plea in SC to rehabilitate people

The Assam government today announced that it would to file a review petition in the Supreme Court to exclude the state from its order on protection of Village Grazing Reserve (VGR) and Professional Grazing Reserve (PGR) lands to rehabilitate people.

The state government will seek exemption for the state from the purview of the orders so that flood affected and erosion hit landless people can be rehabilitated, an official release said.

"The Government of Assam will file a petition in the Supreme Court to review its orders pertaining to restrictions on the use of VGR and PGR land," it said.

"Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal directed the Legal Advisor to the Chief Minister Santanu Bharali to take necessary steps in this regard over phone after a review meeting of the Circle Officers (COs) of Dibrugarh," the statement said.

Sonowal directed the COs to carry out detailed study of land under their jurisdiction to ascertain the status before any allotment while taking the village heads into full confidence in this exercise.

"The Chief Minister further asked the COs to conduct a survey to identify vacant government land to meet the needs of prospective industrialists for setting up their industries," the release said.

Besides, he directed the COs to take adequate steps for early release of financial assistance to people affected by storm in the district.

Through an Office Memorandum in June 2015, the Revenue and Disaster Management Department of the Assam Government had stated about protection of government land, especially VGRs and PGRs, from encroachment in line with the Supreme Court judgement in 2011.