“Take it or leave it,” was what he said as those opposing the penalty imposed on them for regularising the illegal colonies should know that they had lost the case in the Supreme Court. Illegal colonies have emerged in this part of Patna constituency from 1973.

Intervening in a Call Attention Motion raised by the Digha Janata Dal (United) MLA, Poonam Devi, he said the state government had passed the Digha Acquired Land Settlement Act, 2010 to offer a solution to those who have constructed homes. The money they pay will be given to the people who could not take possession of their allotted land,” Nitish said, indicating that the government had no intention of paying the land allottees from its own pocket.

Nitish appealed to everybody, including the local MLA, to help in creating an atmosphere for a smooth transaction.

It needs to be recalled that the Bihar State Housing Board acquired around 1,024 acres of prime land in 1973 from landowners with the settlement amount of over Rs 17 crore. But many landowners were not given the compensation amount. They then re-sold their plots or constructed houses on them unlawfully. Illegal colonies sprung up in the area in the 1980s.

According to the government statistics, illegal constructions have come up over 600 acres of land.
The Housing Board won its legal battle in the Supreme Court after three decades but could not give possession of the plots to about 10,000 allottees who got land.

In 1990s several attempts were made to demolish these illegal houses but they were all stiffly resisted by the occupants.

The Nitish Kumar government in April last year got enacted the Digha Acquired Land Settlement Act, 2010. As per the Act, the allottees will get their money back with eight per cent with compound interest calculated from the time they deposited it for the land. The illegal occupants will have to pay the amount as the chief minister had announced.

However, legal experts, pointed out that the Act would open a Pandora’s Box as it would lead to demand for authorisation of other illegal colonies.

The government is doing tight rope walking as most of the illegal occupants are middle class people said to be the supporters of the ruling establishment. So though it has passed the Bill, it has not yet issued the notification.

The chief minister said that a series of talks were being held with the house owners, allottees and other experts to finalise the way to implement the Act at the ground-level.

Meanwhile, last February the Patna High Court directed the state government to decide within three months the date for issuing notification for the enforcement of the Act or repeal it. But the illegal occupants do not appear to be inclined to pay the amount as they fear that compound interest for 30 years would cost them dearly.

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