Chief Minister Raghubar Das reiterated that the State Government would legalize the lease bandobasti of Government lands occupied since the year 1988 onwards after a period of 30 years.
He said those having possession of Government land in the year 1988 would be given lease rights on the said land for a period of 30 years.
Attacking the opposition parties, who had been critical of the Chief Minister, for delaying ownership rights to illegal urban slum dwellers in his own Jamshedpur East constituency, Raghubar Das on Tuesday said that he has never lied to his voters.
“I stand here and say that that I have never lied to people. I fulfill the promises made to them. Ownership rights to illegal settlers is a complicated issue. But BJP Government completed the promise,” said Das while addressing a function at Gudiya Maidan in Birsanagar this morning.
He also inaugurated a camp for renewable lease settlement of illegal settlers in government land outside company command areas. Similar camps will be held at 10 more locations in city from tomorrow for nearly a week.
Incidentally, Raghubar Das had leading the agitation for ownership rights to 86 urban slums (outside Tata Steel command areas) in 1994-95 under the banner of Basti Vikas Samity.
He targeted his predecessors for not taking any initiative on this issue and instead played with sentiments of residents by sitting on issues for political mileage.
“ I remember that Babulal Marandi ji was even called to attend a meeting in Agrico ground soon after becoming Chief Minister (in 2000 under BJP Government) and apprised about agitation of urban slum dwellers for ownership rights. But he did nothing. Neither did Shibu Soren, Hemant Soren or Madhu Koda who led non-BJP Government in the State at one time or the other.
It was only under BJP Government in 2005 that the urban slums were taken out from the Tata Steel lease areas and finally in 2018 the State cabinet drew the framework for granting lease rights to illegal land dwellers. We have drafted a very simple and cost effective lease renewal process for illegal settlers,” said, Das.
Significantly, the State cabinet had on February 20 this year, resolved to regularize illegal settlements on Government land in urban areas.
In the cabinet decision, it was notified that an illegal settler can get up to 10 decimal land on lease for 30 years, but on two conditions, to build a house and only if the settler has been living there from before January 1, 1985. The lease settlement will be renewable, but non-transferable. Natural heirs or lessees can stake claim to succession rights.