Land allotted to Katkari tribals for housing now occupied by illegal structures, finds govt panel

Thane, Dec 4 (PTI) A committee appointed by the Maharashtra government has found that the land allotted to 17 tribal Katkari families way back in 1975 in Thane district for housing, has now been occupied by unauthorised structures, like godowns.

The state's Tribal Development Review Committee chaired by Vivek Pandit found this anomaly after an inspection drive.

The inspection brought to light that none of the Katkari families who were allotted land in Bhandarli village now reside there, and there is no trace of their family members. The area has been fragmented into 29 parts in village records, with no trace of original boundaries. Unauthorised structures and residential activity were found on these plots.

This raises serious questions about the government's tribal rehabilitation policy and necessitates a thorough investigation, an official release quoted Pandit as saying on Thursday. PTI COR NP