On the outskirts of Siliguri, where a proposed township was to come up, 52 land owners from Kawakhali village are demanding their land back from the Siliguri Jalpaiguri Development Authority (SJDA), a subsidiary organisation under the West Bengal government. In 2005, the SJDA had acquired 302 acres of land in Thiknikata, Kawakhali and Porajhar villages. At the time of the acquisition, 52 of 1,700 land owners had refused to give away their land, but their land was forcefully acquired. The dissenting land owners, farmers by occupation, declined the compensation offered and organised protests to mobilise support to win back their land. According to them, the authorities used misleading tactics and took away their land by terming it fallow. On November 27, 2017, the Press Trust of India reported that the state had decided to return the land back to all 52 land owners. On May 16, 2019, LCW contacted the SJDA via telephone for an update and was directed to the executive engineer, who said that the process of returning the land had got delayed but had started. When asked about the number of people who had received their land so far, they were unable to give a clear number.
Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Complaint against procedural violations, Refusal to give up land for the project
Region Classification
Urban
Type of Land
Private
Type of Common Land
Has the Conflict Ended?
Yes
When did it end?
November, 2017
Why did the conflict end?
Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict
Land Acquisition Laws
Legislations/Policies Involved
Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute
What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community? What was the decision of the concerned government department?
Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:
Legal Status:
Out of Court
Status of Case In Court
Whether any adjudicatory body was approached
Name of the adjudicatory body
Name(s) of the Court(s)
Case Number
Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:
Whether criminal law was used against protestors
Official name of the criminal law. Did the case reach trial?
Reported Details of the Violation:
Date of Violation
Location of Violation
Nature of Protest
Complaints, petitions, memorandums to officials , Protests/marches, Refusal of compensation
Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:
Left goverment, Siliguri Jalpaiguri Development Authority (SJDA)
PSUs Involved in the Conflict:
Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?
Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached
Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:
Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?
Name, Designation and Comment of Corporate Authorities Approached
Other Parties Involved in the Conflict:
Trinamul Congress
Documented By
Mitali BiswasReviewed By
Mitali BiswasUpdated By
Mitali BiswasEdited By
Mitali BiswasLand Conflict Watch
