Bengal surveying extent of encroached tribal land

The West Bengal government is conducting a survey for gauging the extent of tribal land encroached upon in the state's northern part, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said here Tuesday.

Stressing that her government would ensure tribals were not evicted from their plots, Banerjee said steps have also been taken to protect the tribal communities like Toto, Labha and Boro, which are facing extinction.

"There remains only 1,346 people in the Toto community (in north Bengal) which is near extinction. Our government has started distributing 2 kg of rice to each of them for free," she said.

The government is also setting up a separate department exclusively for tribal affairs.