Siliguri, 02nd August: Amid the ongoing issues of land encroachment in Siliguri, allegations have been emerged against the encroachment of Ramakrishna Mission’s land I Matigara.
Notably, the Sewak House of Ramakrishna Mission in Salugara was recently under fire for alleged encroachment by the land mafias. Now, similar allegations have been raised regarding the encroachment of Ramakrishna Mission’s land in Matigara. The Mission authorities have sent a letter to the Chief Minister, Mayor, District Magistrate, and Police Commissioner seeking the return of the encroached land.
According to reports, the Ramakrishna Vivekananda Ashram owns approximately 10 acres of land in Sahudangi adjacent to the Uttarayon Township in Matigara. Part of this land was purchased by the Ashram, while the rest was donated. However, recent claims suggest that several parts of the land have been encroached upon by certain individuals. In efforts to reclaim the land, the Ashram’s secretary has sent letters to Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Darjeeling District Magistrate Preeti Goyal, Siliguri Police Commissioner C. Sudhakar, Siliguri Mayor Gautam Deb, and the Matigara B.L.R.O (Block Land Revenue Officer).
Swami Binayananda of the Ashram reported that the encroached land has been converted into a garage and warehouse. Significantly, the Ashram had applied for land mutation at the Matigara B.L.R.O office in 2022, but the application remained pending, with some land allegedly mutated by several other individuals. The major question arises as to how this occurred. Previously, there were attempts to encroach upon Ramakrishna Mission’s Sevak House on Sevek Road in Siliguri. During the investigation, the police arrested 12 individuals, including the prime accused.
Following the recent encroachment allegations in Matigara, Siliguri Mayor Gautam Deb has stated that he will look into the matter and visit the Ashram to discuss the situation with the authorities. Darjeeling District Magistrate Preeti Goyal has also indicated that she will address the issue.