In brazen display of muscle power and disregard for law and order, land-owning men from Jagdishpur Police station area in Bihar’s Bettiah shot at five patta-owning women on Saturday. Pellet guns were used to attack the helpless women. One of the victims is in a serious condition. All the injured were rushed to GMCH Hospital, where they are undergoing treatment.
“The incident happened in Nakti Paterwa village of Jagdishpur police station area. Five women were shot at. Four of them are recovering well. One is seriously injured and undergoing treatment. This is a land dispute between bhu-dhaari and patta-dhaari. It’s an old dispute. Case has been registered against seven people, one has already been arrested,” said Bettiah SP Upendra Nath Verma.
The land dispute dates back to 1985. These five women were given land and owned pattas, as per the land ceiling act. However, the erstwhile landowners refused to do away with their claim over the land. The accused continue to forcefully till the land depriving the women of their ownership. When the women protested, the miscreants started firing.
Under the Land Ceiling Act a person will hold the maximum area limit of the land. If a person holding more than the maximum limit that land was taken away from them by the Government of India. This Act states that a person can hold only specific land area which is 2000 square meters.
The central government initiated a second phase of land reforms to set limit to the size of landholdings and redistributing land to the poor. Land Ceiling Acts were passed in most states for this purpose after 1972 by the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly.