Rani Chapori's 500 farmers await CM’s promised pattas amid fears of misallocation

Guwahati, July 9: Hope has slowly given way to concern for nearly 500 landless farmers from Dharapur, Garal, Bhattapara, Kendukuchi, and Mazirgaon, six months after Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s visit to Rani Chapori. During the visit, the Chief Minister had announced that long-time cultivators in the region—many of whom have tilled the land for decades without formal rights—would be granted land pattas.

The announcement had sparked optimism in the local farming community, as it was accompanied by promises of wider developmental benefits. These included infrastructure support such as solar power, electricity, irrigation facilities, footbridges, and access to key central schemes like the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Dhan Yojana and the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi.

Shortly after the announcement, the Chief Minister’s Office reportedly began the process to implement the patta distribution. The Rani Chapori area falls within two non-cadastral (NK) char areas—Char Nehali and Char Mazir—under the newly created Jalukbari Legislative Assembly Constituency in Kamrup Metropolitan district.

Farmers in these regions depend entirely on traditional agriculture, growing both rabi and kharif crops and selling their produce in local markets. With no legal ownership of the land they cultivate, they remain in a precarious situation, anxiously waiting for promises to turn into reality.

However, concerns have now emerged over alleged attempts by unscrupulous individuals, unconnected to farming, to illegally obtain land pattas in the area. According to local sources, some of these individuals are reportedly trying to manipulate officials at the Azara Revenue Circle office to gain access to the land benefits originally meant for the poor farming community.

This has led to anxiety and outrage among the genuine farmers, who fear being sidelined in the process. Many have now called upon the Chief Minister to intervene once again – this time to curb fraudulent practices and ensure that land rights are granted only to the rightful beneficiaries.

The farmers have urged the government to verify all applications thoroughly and to uphold the integrity of the land allotment process, safeguarding the interests of those who have tilled these lands for generations without any formal support.

With inputs from ANN service