KESHAB BARMAN AND 153 ORS vs THE STATE OF ASSAM AND 3 ORS

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GAHC010228312022 THE GAUHATI HIGH COURT (HIGH COURT OF ASSAM, NAGALAND, MIZORAM AND ARUNACHAL PRADESH)
Case No. : WP(C)/7159/2022 KESHAB BARMAN AND 153 ORS S/O LATE KOKIL BARMAN 2: HAREKRISHNA SARMA S/O LATE KRIPANATH SARMA
3: ARUN KUMAR GHOSH S/O MOHAN LAL GHOSH
4: BIPUL DEKA S/O HAREN DEKA
5: ARUN RAJBONGSHI S/O KRISHNA RAJBONGSHI
6: RAJIB DEORI S/O LT. MOTILAL DEORI
7: MANIK SAIKIA S/O LT. CHANDRA KANTA SAIKIA
8: LOLIT CH DEORI S/O NABIN DEORI
9: PRANAB JYOTI BORDOLOI S/O DAMODAR BORDOLOI
10: HEMANTA KALITA S/O LT DHARMA KALITA
11: SUBHA DEVI D/O CHANDRA LAL SARMA
12: PARITOSH BARMAN S/O MUNINDRA BARMAN
13: RABIN SARMA S/O BASANTA SARMA
14: MAHIBUL ISLAM S/O FATENUR ALI
15: RUP KUMAR DEORI S/O PRASANTA DEORI
16: HEMANTA KR KALITA S/O LT CHANDRA KANTA KALITA
17: SABITA DEKA D/O HARI DEKA
18: GOPESH SARMA S/O LT BASANTA SRAMA 19: PUSHPANJALI DUTTA D/O MUNIN DUTTA
20: SHAMBHU KUMAR S/O RAMSAGAR ROY
21: JOYMATI BARMAN S/O LT TILAK BARMAN
22: KUMUD CHANDRA DAS S/O BHADRESWAR DAS
23: RAMESH MEDHI S/O JOGESHWAR MEDHI
24: LAKHI DEKA S/O LT KATHA RAM DEKA 25: RAJKUMAR MANDAL S/O LT SANTOSH MANDAL
26: GIRIN MAHANTA S/O DHIRESWAR MAHANTA
27: DEBEN DAS S/O LT SATYA DAS 28: PRADIP DHAR S/O ADHIR DHAR
29: DIPEN DAS S/O NARMESWAR DAS
30: DINESH HALOI S/O BAKUL HALOI
31: HIREN KR BAISHYA S/O LT MADHAB CHANDRA BAISHYA
32: HANSADHAR SARMA S/O LT HARENDRA SARMA
33: GOBINDA BORO S/O DANDIRAM BORO
34: BOLO NATH S/O RAMESH NATH
35: HARI DEV SARMA S/O HARENDRA SARMA
36: MALA SAHA W/O LT. ANIL SAHA
37: MANORANJAN SARMA S/O TARANI KANTA SRAMA 38: CHAMPADUTTA BISWAS W/O LT SUBHASH BISWAS 39: UDAY CHAKRABORTY S/O DIPAK CHAKRABORTY
40: SONARAM DAS S/O LT KHARGESWAR DAS
41: LAXMI PAUL W/O BIBHASH RANJAN PAUL
42: MOUMITA DEORI S/O SANJIB DEORI 43: NRIPEN MEDHI S/O RATNAKAR MEDHI
44: JOYMATI TUDU W/O PARAMESH HEMBROM
45: PRANAB NATH S/O SURJYA KANTA NATH
46: PRADIP DAS S/O MUHIRAM DAS
47: AMASHREE BORO W/O DOYARAM BORO
48: PABITRA DAS S/O LT NARMESWAR DAS
49: MANTU KALITA S/O CHANDRA KALITA 50: GUNUN BORDOLOI S/O LT SOMDHAR BORDOLOI
51: JITU HIRA S/O BANESWAR HIRA
52: MOON MOON SARMA BARUA W/O PRANJIT BARUA
53: PABITRA SANGMAI S/O BOGEN SANGMAI
54: PALLABI DAS W/O MUN THAKURIA
55: RAJESH KARMAKAR S/O GOLAP KARMAKAR
56: BIMALA PRASAD RABHA D/O LT GOJEN CHANDRA RABHA 57: RABINDRA NATH TALUKDAR S/O PARAMANANDA TALUKDAR
58: BIDYUT DOWARAH S/O DEVA KR DOWARAH
59: AJAY BARUAH S/O NABA BARUAH
60: RANJAN KR KAKATI S/O LT KHAGEN KAKATI
61: AKAN BALA MEDHI KALITA S/O RAJANI KALITA
62: ANITA BORO GOYARY W/O LATE THANESWAR GOYARY
63: LACHIT MUCHAHARI S/O JITEN MUSHAHARI
64: INDE KHATTAIYA DEORI S/O LT DEBANANDA DEORI
65: PUJI KANTA DEORI S/O RUPRAM DEORI
66: SITAL MALLIK C/O ABHIJIT MALIK
67: TARANI BORO S/O KANDRO BORO 68: DEBARAJ KOCH S/O HARIDAS KOCH
69: KHAGEN HAZARIKA S/O LAMBODHAR HAZARIKA
70: NIBARAN CH ROY S/O BEDELA CH ROY
71: PANCHAM RAY S/O BUDU RAY
72: JITEN DEORI S/O SONORAM DEORI
73: PHULESWAR SONOWAL S/O SANJAY SONOWAL 74: PUNIRAM PATHAK S/O LT BHABANANDA PATHAK
75: TARUN CH DEORI S/O KIRAM DEORI
76: GOPAL CHANDRA BISWAS S/O LT MUKUNDA BISWAS
77: JADAV NATH S/O LT GOTIRAM NATH
78: AMRIT SARENGI S/O MRIGANKA SARENGI
79: BHADRESWAR RAY S/O BHOLARAM RAY
80: UTTAM KR GHOSH S/O SUDHANGSHU GHOSH
81: HARESH PHUKAN S/O KUL PHUKAN
82: GAGAN CHANDRA DEKA S/O LT HOLIRAM DEKA 83: RANJIT MAJUMDAR S/O ASHUTOSH MAZUMDAR
84: GANESH BARMAN S/O LT DINESH BARMAN
85: BILESWAR BORO S/O LT SAYARAM BORO
86: JUGANTA DEORI S/O BHUPEN DEORI
87: KALINDRA KUMAR BAISHYA S/O SARAT BAISHYA
88: MINATI DEY W/O LATE MUNINDRA DEY
89: MERY DEORI W/O LATE BISWAJIT DEORI
90: SIBASARAN BARMAN S/O LT SURENDRA BARMAN
91: AMRITA SAHU W/O JHARILAL SAHU
92: GAJEN CH DAS S/O DANDIRAM DAS
93: GOPAL RAI S/O MAN BAHADUR RAI
94: KANAK DEKA S/O BIPIN CHANDRA DEKA
95: NIRANJAN NATH S/O DHANIRAM NATH
96: MALAYA DEKA W/O LATE MUKUNDA RAM DEKA
97: GASATI GOYARI S/O THANESWAR GOYARI
98: PHULO DEVI W/O LATE RAM CHANDRA PASWAN
99: ARUP KAKATI S/O LT KHAGEN KAKATI
100: BHAKTA MAZUMDAR S/O KARTIK MAZUMDAR
101: MINU RAJBONGSHI W/O MOBJAL RAJBONHGSHI
102: MRIDUL KALITA S/O BALI KANTA KALITA
103: DIPALI MANDAL W/O LATE KANAI MANDAL
104: BHUBNESWAR BORO S/O KASTURAM BORO
105: MONI MANDAL S/O RABI MANDAL 106: BINOD KALITA S/O NABIN KALITA
107: SUNIMA DAS W/O LATE SIDANANDA DAS
108: GANESH SARKAR S/O NIBARAN SARKAR
109: SUMATI DAS W/O LATE CHANDRA DEB NATH
110: PRASANTA DUTTA S/O LOLIT CHANDRA DUTTA
111: BHIM MAZUMDAR S/O LT KARTIK MAZUMDAR
112: RAMEN DEKA S/O BAIKUNTHA DEKA
113: SUREN KALITA S/O SARBESWAR KALITA
114: RITU BARMAN S/O SUDARSAN BARMAN
115: SUMI BHUYAN ROY W/O PROMOD ROY 116: SANJIB DEORI S/O SAKHIDHAR DEORI 117: MAHADEV SARMA S/O KRISHNA SARMA 118: JADAV BARMAN S/O HARESWAR BARMAN 119: DURGESWAR DEORI S/O BHAGADATTA DEORI
120: BABUL NATH S/O HARENDRA NATH
121: DHANIRUDDIN ALI S/O SAYED ALI
122: RAMENDRA BARMAN S/O RAIMOHAN BARMAN
123: BIMALA NATH W/O KAMAL KUMAR NATH
124: PRANABJYOTI DEKA S/O KARRUN CH DEKA 125: KRISHNA KAKATI S/O NILAMONI KAKATI
126: SANTI NEWAR W/O AMAR BAHADUR NEWAR
127: KUSHAL DEKA S/O KULEN DEKA
128: RAJU ALI S/O GILIMA BEGUM 129: BOLIN PHUKAN S/O SAMESWAR PHUKAN
130: GAMIR ALI S/O SAMIR ALI
131: RAFIQUL HAQUE S/O SAMSUL HAQUE
132: PAPU NATH S/O PRAHLAD NATH
133: NURJAHAN BEGUM W/O SAMSUL HAQUE
134: PRABIN MECH S/O RABI RAM MECH
135: BHAGWAN CHANDRA RAY S/O BIKASH RAY
136: BHADRESWAR ADHIKARI S/O SHYAMAL ADHIKARI
137: GUNESWAR DEORI S/O LT. GANABAHADUR DEORI
138: PRAMOD CH. SARMA S/O LT. GOPI KANTA SARMA
139: SONMANI DAS S/O KAMESH DAS
140: DEEPANWITA DAS W/O PANKAJ KR. DAS.
141: TULA RAM SWARGIWARI S/O LT. BALIN RAM SWARGIWARI
142: BINOD PRASAD S/O RAJBALAM PRASAD
143: PUSPA HARAN SAIKIA S/O LT. PUHARAM NATH. 144: RAMESWAR BANIA S/O LT. JAYRAM BANIA 145: HARIPADA BISWAS S/O GOPAL CHANDRA BISWAS.
146: DHARMESWAR SAIKIA S/O LT. UMESH SAIKIA
147: SONESWAR RAY S/O AHARURAM RAY
148: MAHIM CH. DEORI S/O GAJANANDA DEORI
149: BISHNU MEDHI S/O SHANKHADHAR MEDHI
150: SUBHASH SARMA S/O RAJENDRA CH. SARMA.
151: RAJU PATHAK S/O LT. JOGENDRA PATHAK
152: MENAKA BASUMATARY D/O DANGCHURAM BASUMATARY
153: BHASKAR JYOTI KALITA S/O MONARANJAN KALITA
154: SONMANI DAS S/O KAMESH DAS ALL ARE RESIDENTS OF DAKHIN GAON SAUKUCHI GUWAHATI POST OFFICE-SAUKUCHI POLICE STATION- DISPUR DISTRICT- KAMRUP( METRO)
ASSAM PIN-78104 VERSUS THE STATE OF ASSAM AND 3 ORS REPRESENTED BY THE COMMISSIONER AND SECRETARY, DEPARTMENT OF HOME, ASSAM, DISPUR, GUWAHATI, PIN-781006
2:THE SECRETARY GOVERNMENT OF ASSAM DM (L R) DEPARTMENT DISPUR GUWAHATI PIN-781006
3:THE DEPUTY COMMISSIONER KAMRUP (M)
HENGRABARI GUWAHATI PIN-781036
4:THE CIRCLE OFFICER DISPUR REVENUE CIRCLE BASISTHA GUWAHATI PIN-78102 Advocate for the Petitioner : MR. K N CHOUDHURY Advocate for the Respondent : GA, ASSAM BEFORE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE MICHAEL ZOTHANKHUMA

Advocates:
['K N CHOUDHURY', '', 'T WAPANGLA', 'P DEKA', 'D KALITA', 'T DEURI', 'GA', 'ASSAM', '', 'SC', 'REVENUE']

ORDER

Date : 09-11-2022 Heard Mr. K.N. Choudhury, learned senior counsel for the petitioners, who submits that the petitioners are landless persons, who are residing in the city of Guwahati for their livelihood and who are not been able to purchase any land.

2. The petitioners are residing on Government land for a long period of time. However, the petitioners have been issued eviction notices dated 01.11.2022 by the respondent No. 4, asking them to vacate their occupied plots of land, within 3 (three) days from the date of receipt of the notices or else a lawful eviction drive would be carried out. As such, the petitioners have prayed for setting aside the eviction notices and the action proposed to be taken in pursuance to the eviction notices.

3. The petitioners’ counsel submits that the petitioners have come to learn that an eviction drive is to be conducted on 10.11.2022 and unless this Court intervenes, the petitioners and their families’ lives and livelihood would be greatly affected.

4. The petitioners’ counsel submits that in terms of Clause 14.2, 14.3 and 14.4 of the Land Policy-2019 made by the Government of Assam, an indigenous person, who has no land in his name or in the name of his family in the State, may be eligible to get land in Guwahati city or in the urban area, provided they are eligible for the same and they have been in continuous occupation of

Government land since or prior to 28 June, 2001, with the further condition that they have applied for it.

5. The petitioners’ counsel further submits that the notice for eviction dated 01.11.2022 issued by the respondent No. 4, having been issued on the directions of this Court in PIL (Suo Moto) No. 10/2018 and also in accordance with the Land and Revenue Act, the petitioners had approached the Division Bench of this Court by way of I.A.(Civil) No. 3206/2022. The Division Bench, vide Order dated 07.11.2022 passed in I.A.(Civil) No. 3206/2022, impleaded the petitioners as party respondents in PIL (Suo Moto) No. 10/2018. However, the Division Bench in its Order dated 07.11.2022, had given liberty to the petitioners to approach this Court in appropriate proceedings, with respect to the question of their individual rights, while observing that pendency of the PIL would not affect the rights of each individual petitioner.

6. The petitioners’ counsel submits that the eviction notice dated 01.11.2022 should be set aside and no action should be taken on the basis of the eviction notice. Further, a direction should be issued to the respondents to settle the occupied land with the petitioners, by allowing them to file applications for their respective plots of land under their occupation.

7. Mr. R. Borpujari, learned counsel for the respondent No. 2 submits that the petitioners are illegal occupants of Government land and as there was a vast area of Government land in Kamrup Metro District under encroachment, PIL (Suo Moto) No. 10/2018 had been taken up by the Division Bench of this Court. He submits that it was on the basis of the PIL (Suo Moto) No. 10/2018 taken up by the Division Bench of this Court that a report had been made by the State Government, with regard to illegal encroachment of Government land by numerous persons, including the petitioners. The fact that the removal of encroachers and illegal settlement was to be made by the State Government was known to the Division Bench of this Court and the same was also recorded in the Order dated 31.03.2021 issued by the Division Bench of this Court in PIL (Suo Moto) No. 10/2018.

8. Mr. R. Borpujari, learned counsel also submits that the question of consideration of settlement of Government land in the name of the petitioners can only be considered if they have made applications for the same, in terms of Clause 14.4 of the Land Policy-2019. However, the petitioners have not made any applications for settlement of the land under their illegal occupation, in terms of Clause 14.4 of the Land Policy-2019. He also submits that th

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