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Khas Land Distribution

Irregularities worsen crisis in haor regions

Says Speaker Abdul Hamid

Staff Correspondent
Jatiya Sangsad Speaker Abdul Hamid Advocate yesterday said irregularities in the khas (fallow) land distribution and corruption of local land offices worsen the crisis in haor (water body) regionsofthecountry.
The socio-economic condi tion of around 32,000 square kilometre haor regions is extremely deplorable, he said, adding that education, health and food security are also severely weak in die areas due to poor infrastructural condition and adverse weather.
The Speaker, who also hails from haor region, said this while addressing a workshop on ' Dynamics ofkhas land manage -ment settiement in haor basin’ as the chief guest at the LGED auditorium in the city. Power and Participation Research Centre (PPRC) and Concern Worldwide, Bangladesh jointiy organised the workshop to disseminate the findings of a research on Khas land Management and Settiement in haor Basin.
Presenting the findings, Dr Abul Hossain, research fellow of PPRC, said the total amount of khas lands in the country is 12,63,752.2 acres and the distributed amount is 7,59,438.7 acres, adding that 54,873.8 acres of khas lands is illegally occupied, while 2,18,884.6 acres ofkhas lands is eligible for lease.
In seven haor districts the total amount of khas lands is 2,81,426.6 acres, while 8923.2 acres of khas lands is illegally occupied, he mentioned.
Abul also said that more
than 56 percent beneficiaries, who have already got allotted khas lands, have been facing problems with the allotted lands in haor basin.
Pointing out some irregularities, including weaknesses in identifying landless, lack of monitoring after distribution ofkhas lands and corruption of land settlement office, he stressed the need for strong enforcement of existing rules and regularities in khas land identification and distribution process.
He also suggested for preparing a systematic database for landless and all citizens, introducing cooperative system of landless for proper distribution and optimal utilisation of agriculture khas lands in haor, increasing legal aid for the landless who were
allocated khas lands but not get their possession and monitoring over the distributed lands.
Speaker Hamid said homeless people should provide with khas lands in other places instead of the lands in the haor areas.
Suggesting for constructing more submerged roads in the haor areas, re-excavating beds and removing lease system in the rivers in haor areas, he called on all to work sincerely so that tite real poor and landless families get the lands.
He also urged the concerned organisations to hold dialogues with the local public representatives for die development of the area.
Newly appointed Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr Atiur Rahman said formulating a special policy for the lagged region is a must as these people always remain deprived.
Urging for budgetary allocation for the neglected and deprived populace, he suggested holding debates on their issues in parliament, introducing electronic database about khas lands and continuous monitoring after their distribution.
With former adviser Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman, also executive chairman of PPRC, in the chair, the workshop was also addressed by Kieron Crawley, country director of Concern Worldwide, Charles Whiteley, charge d' affairs, delegation of the European Commission, Syed Ziauddin Ahmed, director of PPRC, and Mustafa Jabbar, convener of first national haor convention.