Assam Rifles files FIR against people possessing its land

The Assam Rifles on Friday filed an FIR against 50 people who 'owned' land where its battalion headquarters is presently located, which was posing a problem in transferring it back to the Mizoram government before the force relocates elsewhere.

Commander of the 23 Sector of Assam Rifles, Brigadier S P Rawat, said the Assam Rifles was to relocate the battalion headquarters from its present position in the heart of the town to nearby Zokhawsang area, but the possession of the land by these persons was causing a problem.

The Assam Rifles said these persons were issued Land Settlement Certificates (LSC) by Land Revenue and Settlement department officials mainly between 1989 and 1998.

The force wanted them to surrender the land to it so that it could hand it back to the state government without any encumbrances, before the relocation to Zokhawsang, Brig Rawat said.

He said the Assam Rifles sought legal action against the persons and the officials of the Land Revenue and Settlement department, responsible for issuing the LSCs.

So far seven persons have surrendered possession of their land to the Assam Rifles, he said.

He, however, warned that the shifting of the battalion headquarters would not be completed unless the land ownership issue was settled.

Earlier in 2002, the state Assembly had legislated the Mizoram (Restriction on use of transferred land) Act to ensure that the land being vacated by the Assam Rifles should be used only for public purposes.