Two-decade encroachment on Nazira hospital land stalls expansion despite court orders

NAZIRA, July 5, 2026 — Even as the Assam government continues its drive against illegal encroachments under its "Jati, Mati, Bheti" campaign, a two-decade-old encroachment dispute involving government hospital land in Nazira remains unresolved despite repeated rulings by revenue authorities, a civil court and the Gauhati High Court.

The disputed land, measuring 3 kathas and 6 lechas, lies within the premises of the Nazira Subsidiary Health Centre, a government-aided healthcare facility established in 1944. Local residents say the unresolved encroachment has prevented the hospital from expanding its infrastructure despite serving around 70 to 80 patients daily.

According to official land records, the hospital stands on 4 bighas, 1 katha and 13 lechas under Dag No. 571 and Plot Nos. 51 and 52 of Jangul Bari Grant in Nazira Mouza. The land originally belonged to the Assam Company, which leased it for the health centre. The lease arrangement was later reflected in the sale agreement between the Assam Company and ONGC in December 1968.

The dispute dates back to 2000, when the hospital initiated construction of a boundary wall using funds provided by the then Rajya Sabha MP, the late Drupad Borgohain. The work was halted after Parvati Karmakar Rabha claimed ownership of a portion of the land based on a periodic patta allegedly issued by the Nazira Circle Office.

Parvati Karmakar Rabha is the daughter of the late Sukhadev Karmakar, a former chowkidar of the hospital who had been allotted government quarters during his service but allegedly continued to occupy the premises after his retirement in 1997. Local residents allege that inaction by successive hospital management committees allowed the dispute to continue for years.

Court records show that the claim has been rejected at multiple levels. In June 2000, the Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC), Sivasagar, revised an earlier order and limited the allotment to four lechas on humanitarian grounds. In 2001, the Assam Board of Revenue dismissed Parvati Karmakar Rabha's appeal and advised her to seek relief through a civil court.

Subsequently, the Civil Judge (Senior Division), Sivasagar, dismissed her injunction petition on March 30, 2001, citing the absence of a prima facie case. On May 20, 2003, the Gauhati High Court also dismissed her writ petition. Revenue authorities reportedly observed that the ADC had no authority to issue a patta over government hospital land.

Despite these rulings, residents allege that the disputed land has not been restored to the hospital, and the boundary wall remains incomplete.

Local residents say the health centre requires additional space for new wards and healthcare facilities and have long demanded that it be upgraded into a full-fledged hospital. They argue that reclaiming the disputed land is essential for future expansion.

Residents have also questioned why authorities have not acted despite the government's ongoing campaign to remove encroachments from public land across Assam.

"Every court has ruled that the land belongs to the hospital, yet no action has been taken for over 20 years," a resident said. "The administration should immediately reclaim the land so that the hospital can expand and serve the people better."