RAUTAHAT, FEBRUARY 22
The dirty story of the land mafia's attempts to devour land belonging to Gaur Rice Mills in Gaur, Rautahat, has never been a secret, and lately, it has been revealed that even Rautahat Cricket Association's officials have come under the influence of the mafia and are helping them sell off the prized public property.
The shenanigan was revealed when the district's cricket association officials invited some selected local journalists and threw a dinner party for them at a hotel in Gaur. The dinner party was held at Hotel Susma Palace, where the journalists were asked for help sell off the government land. Though there were attempts to sell the land by using political connections and influence, the attempts couldn't succeed due to massive public protest.
Lately, as the cricket association had started using the land as a cricket ground, the locals were convinced that the land would be saved, but to no avail. If the allegations are anything to go by, the association has come under the influence of the mafia. The land is being sold on the promise that the mafia will buy four bigha land for the association elsewhere.
As per sources, the land mafia have spent a significant amount to win over Rautahat Cricket Association's Chair Pawan Gupta, Vice-chair Manoj Sharma, Secretary Pramod Sah and Co-treasurer Bikas Bikrant Nepal and launch their land grab attempt again. Locals have also accused association officials of working to help the mafia to sell off the land used as a public place by the locals for decades now.
Sources have claimed that the land mafia eyeing the rice mills' land have even given a significant sum of money to make an initial deal to buy land for a cricket ground elsewhere.
On the same suspicion, cricket association officials have been heavily criticised on social media.
The locals have been using over five-bigha land as pubic property after Gaur Rice Mills closed down 43 years ago. The accused officials of cricket association were reluctant to comment.
Meanwhile, the renewed attempts of land grab made by creating fake documents has drawn the attention of Guar Municipality.
According to Mayor Ajaya Kumar Gupta, the municipality has filed an FIR with the police against persons who were in a bid to grab the public land for themselves by forging government documents. Police have said investigation has started and pledged action against the guilty.
A version of this article appears in the print on February 23, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.
