Raiganj, Feb. 25 -- In Raiganj, North Dinajpur district, a dispute has emerged over a plot of land at Ramkrishna Pally, where a Siva Temple committee plans to organise a mela during Shiv Chaturdashi.
The land, approximately two bighas, is claimed by Suparna Roy and her family, who assert ancestral ownership and possess the necessary land deeds. A month ago, the Roy family began constructing a boundary wall on the plot, which was contested by members of the local tribal community.
This led to administrative intervention, and on February 6, 2015, the Executive Magistrate imposed Section 163 on the disputed land and a 200-meter surrounding radius, prohibiting the assembly of more than five people.
Suparna Roy said: " Despite this order, the Siva Temple committee, led by Ward No. 25 coordinator Ashim Adhikary, initiated preparations for the mela on the contested plot. We lodged a complaint with the Sub-Divisional Magistrate, alleging that the committee's actions violated the prohibitory order". In response, Adhikary refuted the allegations and stated: "The mela had been held on the same plot for the past seven years. We heard about the land dispute and the enforcement of Section 163, then the mela had been relocated to an alternative site to comply with legal directives.
It was a baseless allegation against us". Sub-Divisional Officer Kingshuk Maity confirmed receiving the complaint regarding the mela preparations on the restricted land. He stated: "Law enforcement had been directed to take appropriate action should there be any breach of the prohibitory order".
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.