By Zaidul Haque, TwoCircles.net,
Kolkata: The West Bengal government of Mamata Banerjee on Monday said it would seek help from all parties to resolve the dispute over the land allotted for Special Centre of Aligarh Muslim University in Murshidabad when the legislators cornored the government for not taking effective step to resolve the dispute. It is said that at the instigation of some saffron groups including BJP, some locals are obstructing construction work of the centre claiming compensation for the land.
Besides working out the issue at political levels, the state Government is now taking action at administrative level, said Higher Education Minister of West Bengal Bratya Basu in Question Hour in the West Bengal Assembly on 2nd July 2012. He added that in this regards the government is seeking help from all political parties.
Foundation Stone Laying Ceremony for AMU Murshidabad campus at Ahiran, Murshidabad in November 2010
Bratya Basu said the Aligarh Campus is still running in a rented house, having only two courses and 157 students in the current session. Local MLA and leader of the Congress in Assembly Sohrab Hossain submitted a present status report on the Aligarh Campus land dispute. He also sent the report to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
In 1964-65, the Authority of Farakka Barrage acquired land on both sides of the feeder canal — 115.76 Acre and 172.62 Acre at Ahiran, and gave compensation and rehabilitation to the land owners following the rules. Due to changes in the planning of Farakka Barrage the land was left unused for long time and a few years ago Government of West Bengal took initiative to allow a Aligarh University Campus on that land. And the land again came under state Government through Farakka Barrage Authority. In presence of Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Chief Minister of West Bengal on that time Buddhabev Bhattacharya and VC of Aligarh Muslim University P K Abdul Aziz, foundation stone was laid down and Union Government sanctioned Rs 70 Cr for the Aligarh Campus in Murshidabad.
Now with the alleged support of BJP and RSS, a group of people is forcefully opposing the campus and not willing to quit the land, though they have already taken compensation and rehabilitation from the Government long ago. In this regards Ex Minister and CPIM leader Abdur Rajjak Molla asked the Higher Education Minister Bratya Basu in Assembly that, if Government can evict encroachers in Eastern Metropolitan Bypass in Kolkata , why it is not taking action to recover the land in Ahiran for Aligarh Campus. Congress MLA Abu Taher asked, a few people have illegally occupied the land with a political flag, why no necessary action taken by Government of West Bengal. Bratya Basu replied: we are sitting with all political parties and administration to solve the problem, trying to find out a peaceful way.
MLA Sohrab Hossain also informed that when construction works of wall was started on the Aligrah Campus, then BJP backed people organized demonstration against the campus. BJP of West Bengal is still actively opposing the Aligarh Campus. State President of BJP Rahul Sinha attended the demonstration at Aligarh campus area and RSS leader Pravin Togadia also delivered his provocative speech at Farakka against the AMU Campus in Murshidabad recently. Rahul Sinha said, Government should give compensation again to the people of Ahiran. He also questioned, why Aligarh Muslim University Campus in Murshidabad?