Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Guwahati: The Gauhati High Court ripped into Assam revenue authorities for tearing down 21 houses in the Goalpara district. Justice Devashis Baruah slammed the move as prima facie illegal and unauthorized. He ruled the state ignored natural justice while violating Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution. The court now demands answers. Officials must explain what imminent danger forced them to act.
Jahidul Islam and 20 other residents filed the petition after their homes on private agricultural land were destroyed. Senior Advocate S Borthakur told the court the Matia Revenue Circle officer issued notices on September 5. Those papers gave residents only 24 hours to clear out or face charges under the Assam Land and Revenue Regulation and the Disaster Management Act. Crews arrived early on September 7 to finish the job. Residents never got a fair hearing. The state acted in just two days.
The court pointed to the Assam Agricultural Land Act of 2015 to highlight the procedural failure. Section 3(iv) of the law allows people to build homes on up to one bigha of agricultural land without special permission. Justice Baruah noted the petitioners held legal patta titles to the land. The court blocked the District Commissioner and the Circle Officer from taking further action against the properties. "The action by revenue authorities appeared prima facie illegal, unauthorised and contrary to the principles of natural justice," the court stated.
The government must now report back with instructions from local officials. Petitioners have until the next hearing to file affidavits detailing their losses. The court set the next session for September 11.
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