TURA: The proposed Tura medical college may face inordinate delays as the Bolwarigre and Darengre A’kings have objected to the alleged illegal sale of their land by the neighbouring Doldegri Nokma to the State government.
The new site at Doldegre in West Garo Hills was chosen for the college after the Centre rejected the land chosen four years ago where the foundation stone was laid.
The Nokmas of Darenggre and Bolwarigre have lodged a complaint and approached the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) demanding that the sale of the 400 bighas be cancelled. They alleged that the land, which had been cleared for jhumming, was sold by the Doldegre Nokma without their consent.
In a letter to the GHADC chief executive member, Denang T Sangma, Darenggre Nokma P.B Marak brought it to the notice of the council that an injunction notice had been given to both Doldegre and Bolwarigre villages by the Land and Revenue Department of GHADC prohibiting encroachment.
“But the Nokma of Doldegre disregarded the order of the district council court and encroached on the area of Bolwarigre and sold plots of land causing heavy economic loss to the Bolwarigre,” the complaint to the district council stated.
The villagers of Bolwarigre have not been allowed to cultivate the land. “This must be compensated by the Doldegre Nokma and if any patta is issued it will have to be cancelled,” said the Bolwarigre Nokma.
Darengre and Doldegre are joint A’king lands and thus have joint Nokmas. The Nokma of Doldegre alone does not have the power to sell any land that is in joint custody unless the A’king of Darenggre also agreed. The Bolwarigre A’king comes into the scene since the allegation is that the Doldegre Nokma sold their plots as well as those belonging to the Darenggre A’king.
With the controversy now getting entangled in a possible legal battle there is scepticism that the proposed medical college would not take off any time soon.
