Adivasis protest 'shady land transfers': Poor Dooars tribals deprived of pattas, housing aid
Telegraph | 11 February 2026
A group of tribals from the western Dooars region, led by the Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Vikas Parishad (ABAVP), demonstrated in front of the office of the district land and land reforms officer in Jalpaiguri on Tuesday, alleging large-scale irregularities in the transfer and distribution of tribal land.
The protesters from Nagrakata block of the district claimed that land belonging to the tribals was being illegally transferred to non-tribal individuals, while land traditionally cultivated by them is being taken over by tea garden authorities.
They took out a rally and reached the DL&LRO’s office in the Collectorate Avenue of the town. Later, a delegation of the ABAVP’s Nagrakata block committee also submitted a memorandum to the DL&LRO, highlighting several discrepancies related to tribal land rights.
According to the memorandum, in many cases, land pattas (secured land tenures) meant for genuine, economically backward tribals are being allotted to non-tribal persons with substantial property.
At the same time, several tribal families, who have already received the pattas from the state government, have not received financial assistance to build their homes, said Pancham Oraon, the Nagrakata block committee president of the Parishad.
“In Dharanipur tea estate, land pattas were granted to residents with considerable assets, while the genuine tribal beneficiaries were ignored. We submitted a list of such deprived people today (Tuesday). Also, in the Carron tea estate, although some tribal families were handed over pattas long ago, they have still not received financial assistance for building houses under the state’s housing scheme,” said Pancham Oraon, the Nagrakata block committee president of the Parishad.
Bikash Barla, secretary of ABAVP in Nagrakata, alleged that in Nagrakata, residents of the Bhagatpur tea estate had been cultivating different crops on vacant land for nearly 200 years.
“Due to low wages in tea gardens, these families depend heavily on agricultural produce from this land to sustain themselves. However, the tea garden authorities have started plantation work, forcing these families to stop cultivation,” said Barla.
“In the Khayerkata area of the block, tribal land is being illegally transferred into the names of non-tribal individuals. If the administration does not take immediate steps, we will intensify our movement,” he added.
Harris Rasheed, the additional district magistrate (land), said they were working on the cases and have ordered a probe.
“We have received complaints regarding discrepancies in tribal land matters. Orders have been given to complete the investigation at the earliest, and strict action will be taken if the allegations are found to be true,” said the official.