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Mamata’s counter to NRC: All refugee colonies in Bengal to get land rights

Mamata Banerjee's move comes amid the Centre’s attempt to pass the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament.

mamata banerjee on refugees, mamata banerjee on nrc refugees, kolkata refugee colonies, kolkata displaced people nrc, indian express news ‘Since 1971, they have been without a home or land’

DAYS AFTER Union Home Minister Amit Shah said in Parliament that the National Register of Citizens (NRC) would be implemented across the country, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced on Monday that attempts would be made to regularise all refugee colonies of up to three acres — on state government, central government as well as private land — and those living in these colonies would be given land rights.

Her move comes amid the Centre’s attempt to pass the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament.

“We have decided to regularise all the refugee settlements, solely because it has been a long time now — nearly 50 years. Since (March) 1971, they have been left hanging without a home or land. I believe refugees have the right,” Banerjee told reporters after a Cabinet meeting.

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In January, the TMC government had given freehold land rights to residents of 94 refugee colonies which were on state government land and had promised the same for another 237 colonies on private and central government land.

“There are several refugee colonies on land owned by the central government and private parties. For a long time now, we have been asking them to regularise these refugee colonies and provide them with land possession. However, they have been sending eviction notices instead,” she said.

Festive offer

“Those who are living in refugee colonies for a long time do not have any rights. So we thought they should get the rights as citizens of this country. They may be voting in elections, may be working here, but don’t have proper land rights,” she said.

“Land rights will be given to refugees who have been living on such land for a long time. They have been living in Bengal for the last 48 years. The state government does not want to deprive them of their rights. Refugees who have been living in this country for 12 years are now citizens of this country,” she said.

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Banerjee said over 13,000 and 12,000 families living on land owned by the state and central governments respectively would benefit from the decision.

However, BJP national secretary Rahul Sinha accused Banerjee of “misleading” people. “First of all, the state government has no power or jurisdiction to transfer central government land to anyone. Second, it is trying to win over the refugees by making such announcements as it knows that once the central government brings in the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, the refugees will eventually get land rights. Third, our definition of refugees does not match with the TMC’s. They are including infiltrators, but we don’t include infiltrators as refugees,” he said.

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While Banerjee has opposed the NRC and CAB, the BJP has accused the TMC of protecting illegal immigrants from Bangladesh as they are part of the party’s vote-bank.

West Bengal has a huge refugee population in its border districts like North and South 24 Parganas, Nadia, Uttar Dinajpur, Coochbehar and Malda.

First uploaded on: 26-11-2019 at 04:22 IST
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