B’deshis get land at Bagapatia

Rajnagar: Over 700 people from Satabhaya, a cluster of coastal villages under Rajnagar block in Kendrapara, have been rehabilitated at Bagapatia and other places, after their villages were completely engulfed by the sea. Some Bangladeshi immigrants among them have allegedly been settled there. Rajnagar tehsildar has sought a report from the local police about real identities of these alleged Bangladeshi immigrants there.

As per reports, the administration had in the first phase rehabilitated 571 families of Satabhaya cluster of villages while in the second phase, 148 more sea-erosion-affected families including 99 families of Charigharia village were relocated and provided land at Bagapatia located inside the Bhitarkanika National Park. Allegedly, some suspected Bangladeshis are among these beneficiaries. It was learnt that the then tehsildar had filed an FIR against a Bangladeshi settler identified as Tarapad Raptan in the area in 2016.

However, it was alleged that two brothers and three nephews of the Bangladeshi settler Tarapad have been rehabilitated at Bagapatia along with the Charigharia villagers. Locals have alleged that if a person was officially found to be a Bangladeshi, how the kin of the person concerned could be treated as Indian nationals. Many wondered and argued how the tehsil administration failed to know about the nationality of these five suspected Bangladeshis before their rehabilitation along with local people at Bagapatia.

After some reports on the matter appeared on media, the tehsil administration has woken up from its slumber. Strangely, Bijay Jena, revenue inspector (RI) of Gupti, in his investigation report had earlier claimed that these five people are Indian nationals who had been living at Charigharia for over 35 years. The Gupti RI in his report even tried to prove their Indian nationality by producing voter identity cards, Aadhaar cards, ration cards and other official documents issued to the five people.

To verify the report of the RI, the Rajnagar tehsildar Ashwini Kumar Bhuyan has issued a letter to Rajnagar police Thursday to look into the matter and submit a report on the identity of the five. The RI’s report has been forwarded to the police station. Rajnagar police have been asked to investigate about Tarapad Raptan and five others having familial link with him, tehsildar Ashwini Kumar Bhuyan said.

“We want to know about their real identities and nationality. After investigation report is submitted, action will be taken against the people if their identities are found forged,” he added. It may be noted here that post-seventies, infiltration of Bangladeshis in coastal pockets under Rajnagar and other areas of Kendrapara district has been increasing.

Illegal settlers have managed to obtain voter cards, Aadhaar and ration cards and spread to almost all panchayats under Rajnagar block during the nineties, it was alleged. Some of them have even been elected as people’s representatives over years. In 2016, an investigation had revealed that Tarapad Raptan had come from Bangladesh.

However, according to the Gupti RI’s report, Tarapad’s kin like Haripad Raptan, Nalini Raptan, Maya Raptan and Itika Raptan are Indian nationals. This confusion has drawn sharp reactions from various quarters. One Dharanidhar Rout of Satabhaya area had complained before Collector Amrit Rituraj that Tarapad and his kin Haripad Raptan, Nalini Raptan, Maya Raptan and Itika Raptan are Bangladeshi nationals, but these people have been rehabilitated as Indians using political pressure.

The Collector has taken the issue seriously and asked the tehsildar to look into the matter and submit a report. .