HT Correspondent
MARGHERITA, July 26: A major land revenue fraud has come to light in Tirap Mouza under the 83rd Margherita Legislative Assembly Constituency of Tinsukia district, exposing the alleged exploitation of vulnerable Adivasi and tea tribe communities through unauthorized and counterfeit revenue collections.
According to reports, two individuals—Ganga Chetry and Hemanta Bhattarai, both residents of Ledo Bisa Gaon—have allegedly been collecting land revenue illegally from unsuspecting villagers by issuing fake receipts and using counterfeit seals.
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The victims are primarily from socio-economically weaker Adivasi and tea tribe communities.
The accused reportedly charged Rs 2,500 per bigha, despite the Assam government discontinuing offline land revenue collection since 2020 under its digital governance reforms.
The fraudulent practice is said to have continued for several years undetected, resulting in the misappropriation of lakhs of rupees.
The matter came to light following an internal investigation by the All Adivasi Student Association of Assam (AASAA) and the Assam Tea Tribes Student Association (ATTSA), Margherita regional committee.
The organisations submitted a memorandum to the Margherita Circle Officer and the Margherita Co-District Commissioner, urging immediate legal action against the accused.
Speaking to the media, leaders of AASAA and ATTSA expressed outrage, questioning how such a scam went undetected despite claims of digital and transparent governance in the state.
“When the state government talks about transparency, how did such blatant forgery go unnoticed in Tirap Mouza?” a representative of AASAA asked.
Both accused are reportedly absconding. AASAA and ATTSA have warned of intensified agitation if prompt arrests are not made.
“We demand the immediate arrest of these fraudsters. If the Margherita Co-District administration and police fail to act, we will be compelled to launch strong, intensified protests,” the Margherita regional committees said in a joint statement.
