Kendrapara: The Form-K patta beneficiaries in the Mahakalapara block of this district are facing uncertainty after the Forest Department wrote to the Union Home Ministry recommending creation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in the district to flush out Bangladeshi migrants, a report said Wednesday.
The Form-K patta beneficiaries are Bangladeshi migrants living on the forest lands of 17 villages in Mahakalapara block. They have been allowed to live on forest lands, but do not have actual possession of the land.
The Centre rehabilitated 1,237 Bangladeshi refugees in Mahakalapara tehsil during the 1971-Indo-Pakistan war. The then Collector issued deportation notice (No 601) to the migrants, January 1, 2005. But the immigrants did not move out and revenue collection from them was stopped in 2013.
Revenue collection was revived after the sub-collector in a letter (No 6545) wrote to Mahakalapara tehsildar directing revenue collection from Form-K patta holders October 16, 2018). However, they have failed to establish their rights on the land as they are forest lands.
This happened as the order to change the forest land into homestead land was not implemented.
Sources said a high-level meeting was held in Bhubaneswar to resolve the housing problems faced by Bangladeshi immigrants staying in the 17 villages of Mahakalapra tehsil, September 22, 2017.
Former Revenue Minister, Mahakalapara MLA, Principal Secretary, Revenue, Joint Secretary, Forest and Environment Department and the Collector attended the meeting and discussed the land rights of Bangladeshi immigrants.
According to available information, 4,907 families of Bangladeshi immigrants came to stay in the 17 villages of this tehsil between 1972 and 1980. They acquired over 6057.59 acres for living, although rules mandate that the district administration can lease out only 29.05 acres.
As the remaining land is forest, the district administration has to first conduct a probe and seek permission from the Centre for changing the land’s status.
The district administration has investigated only 300 families holding Form-K pattas. This has made them apprehensive about their future as they fear that they might be deported if NRC survey is held in the district. Having settled here for so long they are unwilling to move to Bangladesh.
When contacted, Jyoti Ranjan Mohapatra said the district administration is laying stress on resolving the forest land issue in Mahakalapara. The probe regarding some of the forest lands has been completed, while the rest will be completed very soon, before a letter on changing the status of the land is send to the Union Forest and Environment Ministry.