Word: The story comprises an appendix comprising the response of Vasistha Realtors Pvt Ltd, despatched to The Wire after the unique story was printed.
This investigative report is a joint collaboration between The Wire and Guwahati-based information portal, The Crosscurrent.
New Delhi/Guwahati: Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma is pushing for the eviction of peasant households throughout the state on the grounds that nobody has the precise to illegally take over authorities land. Nevertheless, an investigation by The Wire and The Crosscurrent has established that an actual property firm co-founded by Sarma’s spouse, Riniki Bhuyan Sarma – of which their son Nandil Biswa Sarma as of FY’20 owned a big variety of shares – is itself occupying round 18 acres of presidency land meant for landless people and establishments, based on official data. This land was acquired in violation of the official guidelines governing its possession, sale and use.
One third of this land is prime actual property abutting Guwahati airport and Tech Metropolis, in Bongora, Kamrup district.
The corporate in query, RBS Realtors Non-public Restricted, acquired many of the 18 acres in two phases, first in 2006-2007 after which in 2009. Throughout that interval, Sarma’s spouse, Riniki Bhuyan Sarma, was a director of the corporate, and Sarma himself was an influential minister within the erstwhile Tarun Gogoi authorities. The corporate’s different founder-director was Ranjit Bhattacharya, an affiliate of Sarma’s.
Doc from the Ministry of Company Affairs displaying particulars of Riniki Bhuyan Sarma as a founder director of RBS Realtors Pvt Ltd.
Particulars of the Sarma firm’s possession of the land in query can be found at ‘Dharitri’, the Assam authorities portal which offers a digital report of land possession within the state. The land data present a hanging distinction to the way by which the unlawful possession of land in Darrang district was dealt with by the state administration: a brutal police assault throughout an official eviction drive at Sipajhar in September led to the loss of life of two individuals, considered one of them a minor. Sarma subsequently defended the eviction drive. The households evicted had been peasants who stated that they had settled within the space as a result of their earlier plots and dwellings had been misplaced to riverbank erosion, a typical phenomenon in riverine Assam.
The irony is that as a state susceptible to the lack of land as a result of sand erosion, Assam’s land legal guidelines had been truly designed to present the federal government entry to satisfactory acreage for the resettlement of these rendered landless by the river, or those that decide on authorities land as a result of lack of their land to erosion. Up to now, such households have been granted plots by the state authorities from land that got here into its possession below the Assam Fixation of Ceiling on Land Holdings Act, 1956.
Regardless of 10-year lock-in, RBS Realtors purchased land inside months of unique allotment
By design, the ‘ceiling surplus land’ within the authorities’s possession is supposed to supply land to the landless and needy in Assam, other than additionally allotting a certain quantity to people who proceed to occupy plots below particular circumstances as stipulated within the Act. Within the final decade or so, whereas a number of states have amended their land ceiling legal guidelines to permit trade and non-farmers to purchase massive items of agricultural land and put them to non-agricultural use, Assam will not be amongst them. Moreover, people granted ceiling surplus land by the Assam authorities are prohibited from promoting that land for a 10-year interval.
It’s this backdrop which makes the possession of a giant swathe of ceiling surplus land by an organization instantly linked to chief minister Sarma particularly problematic.
In 2009, a complete of 11 bigha, three katha and 4 lessa (i.e. 3,01,674 sq. toes or 6.92 acres) of ceiling surplus land in Bongora meant for – and allotted to – supposedly needy people by the federal government of Assam was purchased by Sarma’s spouse’s actual property growth firm. The sale and registration of those plots happened lower than three months after their allotment to the unique beneficiaries, thus violating the necessary 10-year lock-in interval as acknowledged within the circumstances below which the plots had been granted by the federal government to these people.
As the federal government land portal notes in Assamese, every of those allotments got here with a lock-in stipulation: “Ullekh thake je ei mati 10 bosorole bikri koribo nuwaribo (It’s talked about (within the land deed) that this land can’t be bought for ten years).”
The aim behind this stipulation is to make sure authorities land allotted to the needy doesn’t find yourself getting used for different functions.
By the point Sarma’s spouse resigned from RBS Realtors’ directorship on June 9, 2009, nonetheless, some 80% of that complete ceiling surplus land had already been acquired by the corporate. The federal government’s data present that they had been acquired between January 24 and 28, 2009 – when she was nonetheless a director.
Bhattacharya, the corporate’s second founder director, was appointed the BJP’s Assam Kisan Morcha vice-president in October 2021 and has been described as ‘HBS’s unofficial private assistant’ by an individual near the chief minister’s household, chatting with The Wire on the situation of anonymity. HBS is the acronym used for Himanta Biswa Sarma. The identical particular person claimed that ‘RBS’ within the firm’s title was the abbreviated type of Riniki Bhuyan Sarma. In line with RSF’s ‘Who Owns the Media’ survey’, Bhattacharya additionally owns 13.2% of the shares in a media firm related to the Sarmas and would possibly even be associated to them: “As per the MGT-7 filings of Pleasure East Entertainments Non-public Restricted, Ranjit Bhattacharyya is listed among the many Hindu undivided household together with Mrinalini Devi (Sarma’s mom) and Kailash Nath Sarma (Sarma’s father) – which infers that he’s associated to the Sarma household. No additional data was discovered on Ranjit Bhattacharyya.”
The official letter from the BJP’s Assam unit saying Ranjit Bhattacharyya as vice-president of its Kisan Morcha.
Curiously, the ceiling surplus land introduced by RBS Realtors Non-public Restricted is located adjoining to the federal government of Assam’s formidable Tech Metropolis mission in Bongora village, a stone’s throw from Gopinath Bordoloi Worldwide Airport in Guwahati. Tech Metropolis, below building close to the airport, has been envisaged by the state government-owned Assam Electronics Growth Company Restricted as “a considered one of a form Electronics and IT hub for all the Northeast India and ASEAN” and is linked to the federal government of India’s Act East coverage.
When reporters from The Wire and The Crosscurrent visited Bongora final month, they discovered building happening in a portion of land located between Tech Metropolis and the Indian Institute of Info Know-how (IIIT) Guwahati.
The plot close to AMTRON’s Tech Metropolis the place building is underway.
On being proven the daag numbers of the ceiling surplus plots that the corporate had purchased as talked about within the authorities’s portal, a neighborhood land official stated that the realm below building “is the one”. His declare couldn’t be independently verified.
Although the buildup of ceiling surplus land by an organization of which Sarma’s spouse is a founder director was a violation of the federal government’s 10-year lock-in rule for land allotment, the land division registered the plots below the title of the corporate and its director, Ranjit Bhattacharyya.
Earlier acquisition of land in North Guwahati
The federal government of Assam’s land portal additionally paperwork how the identical firm, RBS Realtors Pvt Ltd, repurchased two plots of presidency land initially allotted to welfare establishments in North Guwahati in 2006-07. In line with the principles, authorities land allotted to establishments/farms and many others. can’t be bought to a personal particular person or a personal firm, and to take action can be unlawful.
Moreover, if the unique allottee of the land doesn’t use it for the applied-for goal, that land would return to the federal government’s kitty inside three years.
Regardless of these guidelines, nonetheless, the overall space of public land in North Guwahati which handed into the arms of RBS Realtors Pvt Ltd – as per authorities land data – covers a span of 17 bigha, two katha and 5 lessa (i.e. 4,62,303 sq. toes or 10.6 acres).
Sarma household a relentless in RBS Realtors’ possession
In line with firm filings with the Union ministry of company affairs, accessed by The Wire and The Crosscurrent, RBS Realtors Pvt Ltd was included on June 23, 2006 by Riniki Bhuyan Sarma and Ranjit Bhattacharyya, each proudly owning 50,000 fairness shares of Re 1 every. This represented 65.78% of the corporate’s fairness shares, based on its filings. Sarma and Bhattacharyya had been additionally the corporate’s first administrators.
RBS Realtors Pvt Ltd’s certificates of incorporation.
RBS’s annual filings for FY’07 additionally present that in its first monetary 12 months, it issued fairness shares to 6 completely different firms that every picked up a stake. They had been: Dingo Commodeal Non-public Restricted; Class Commerce & Holdings Non-public Restricted; Oleander Producers and Credit score Non-public Restricted; Echolac Vinimay Non-public Restricted; Prakhar Vyapay Non-public Restricted; and Mayank Tieup Non-public Restricted.
4 extra firms picked up a stake in 2008 – Haralalka Business Non-public Restricted; Yulan Advertising and marketing Non-public Restricted; Subrekha Vyapaar Non-public Restricted; and Chhattisgarh Birbi Patta Non-public Restricted.
In 2009, seven extra firms invested in it – Achi Finance and Administration Consultancy Non-public Restricted; NIlhat Promoters & Fiscal Non-public Restricted; Radiant Merchandise Non-public Restricted; S.Okay. Inventory Sellers Non-public Restricted; Shubh Laxmi Coal & Exim Non-public Restricted; Sluggish and Sound Electronics Non-public Restricted; and Tristar Businesses Non-public Restricted.
The corporate’s stability sheet reveals that in all, 17 firms had picked up a stake in RBS Realtors until FY’09. The shares these firms owned had been of Rs 100 face worth however it isn’t clear what voting rights that they had.
Riniki Bhuyan Sarma resigned from the directorship of RBS Realtors on June 9, 2009. Her substitute as director, made on the identical date, was Ashok Kumar Dhanuka, a businessman from Guwahati’s Fancy Bazar space who is taken into account near chief minister Sarma. Although Dhanuka grew to become a director, he owns no shares as per filings with the Union company affairs ministry.
Between 2009 and 2010, all shareholders barring one transferred their shares to a brand new set of individuals. Nevertheless, Bhattacharyya remained a shareholder and director. The brand new shareholders had been Sanjib Sarma, Dipannita Sarma, Guna Tamuly Phukan, Ajit Sarma, Bhaskar Sarma, Madan Chandra Sarma, Jina Devi, Bulu Devi and Dipankar Sarma.
Whereas Guna Tamuly Phukan is the maternal uncle of Sarma’s spouse, Jina Devi is the spouse of the brand new shareholder Bhaskar Sharma, director of yet one more firm run by the Sarma family, Pleasure East Pvt Ltd, which runs the Assamese information channel NewsLive. The RSF’s ‘Who Owns The Media Survey’ had acknowledged, “As per the MGT-7 filings of Pleasure East Entertainments Pvt Ltd, Bhaskar Sarma is listed among the many Hindu undivided household together with Riniki Bhuyan Sarma and Atanu Bhuyan as promoters – therefore it may be inferred that he’s a part of the Sarma household.”
Bhaskar Sarma’s brother Sanjib Sarma can be talked about as yet one more new shareholder of RBS Realtors.
For the reason that father’s/husband’s title part had been stuffed up by Jina Devi, Bulu Devi and Dipankar Sarma as Madan Chandra Sarma, these shareholders are clearly members of the family of one other new shareholder Madan Chandra Sarma, father-in-law of Pleasure East Pvt Ltd director Bhaskar Sarma.
From RBS to Vashistha, a change of title
Quickly after the brand new shareholders got here in, RBS Realtors utilized for a reputation change and re-incorporated itself as Vasistha Realtors Pvt Ltd. Nevertheless, the widespread CIN quantity between the 2 firms, as proven in Union company affairs ministry paperwork, show that it’s the identical firm.
In 2017, firm data present, 23.61% of the Rs 100 face worth shares of Vasistha Realtors had been transferred to Meena Bhuyan, mom of Riniki Bhuyan Sarma and mother-in-law of chief minister Sarma.
On September 16, 2019 – barely 18 days after Sarma’s son Nandil Biswa Sarma grew to become an grownup – Meena Bhuyan transferred her shares to him. Therefore, as of FY’20, the chief minister’s son owns 23.61% the corporate’s Rs 100 shares, which is the same as 15.9% of the overall fairness shares issued by the corporate. Successfully then, a serious proprietor of the shares of Vasistha Realtors Pvt Ltd – and presumed beneficiary of the dubiously acquired ceiling surplus authorities land – is the chief minister’s son, Nandil Biswa Sarma.
In complete, the realm of presidency land meant for restricted use that’s now owned by chief minister Sarma’s son’s firm is 29 bigha, 9 lessa (i.e 7,84,296 sq. toes or 18 acres), of which prime land close to Tech Metropolis is 11 bigha, two katha and 4 lessa, i.e a whopping 3,00,318 sq. toes or 6.89 acres.
So how did RBS Realtors handle to accumulate the 2 units of presidency land in prime areas when it was not entitled to such an allotment?
In North Guwahati, officers really helpful welfare allotment, then RBS purchased land
RBS Realtors bought two plots in Sila Sendurgopha mouza of North Guwahati on December 27, 2006 and August 20, 2007 – barely a 12 months after the corporate with Sarma’s spouse as one of many founder administrators was included.
As per the Assam authorities’s land portal, seven bigha, two katha and 5 lessa (192,310 sq ft or 4.41 acres) of Kheraji Myadi Jolatok (freehold land with water our bodies) in Namali Jalah village (patta no.96, daag no.465) was allotted by the land income division to the president of the Udayon Fishery Growth Farm, Ramen Chandra Mahanta, on August 10, 2006. In line with official data, the land was granted to the fishery farm on the premise of an April 24, 2006 letter of advice from the state authorities’s income division. The letter was endorsed by an order of the extra director of the Kamrup Rural district income division (order dated August 11, 2006). Mahanta paid Rs 7,87,217 to the state for the allotment of the land.
Although land given by the federal government to public establishments and welfare organisations/farms, and many others. can’t be bought to or purchased by a personal particular person or a personal firm as per the land guidelines in Assam, Udayon Fishery Growth Farm bought its plot to RBS Realtors, and that too barely 4 months after buying it – on December 27, 2006.
RBS Realtor’s stability sheet for the monetary 12 months by which this transaction was made (FY’07) accounts for land value Rs 38.04 lakh below the heading ‘mounted belongings.’ It isn’t clear whether or not this displays the value the corporate paid for the plot or the ebook worth of the identical.
About seven months later – on July 20, 2007 – RBS Realtors purchased one other plot of institutional land in the identical village of North Guwahati. The land, as proven in authorities data, is ten bigha (270,000 sq ft or 6.19 acres). It’s a mixture of agricultural land with water our bodies (patta no. 97, daag no.466). Going by the land patta and daag numbers of each the plots, the 2 plots within the village appear to be contiguous.
As per the federal government’s land portal, this second plot was initially allotted for institutional/welfare use by following the identical modus operandi. An order issued by the identical further director of the district income workplace (dated August 30, 2006) and endorsed by a letter from the state authorities’s income division (dated September 27, 2006) led to the land being allotted to at least one ‘Welfare Actions Faculty’ on August 23, 2006. Although no title of any faculty official is talked about on the federal government’s portal, it data that Rs 25 lakh was paid by the varsity for the allotment of the federal government plot.
To summarise, the data present that each plots of lands in North Guwahati had been initially allotted by the state authorities for institutional/welfare functions in August 2006. And that each plots had been in flip purchased by RBS Realtors between December 2006 and July 2007 – when Sarma’s spouse Riniki Bhuyan Sarma was a founder director. The official data state that the plots had been registered within the title of Ranjit Bhattacharyya, the opposite founder director of the true property firm RBS Realtors.
For FY’08, the corporate’s stability sheet accounts for land value Rs 58.07 lakh below its ‘mounted belongings’ – though it’s unclear if the elevated worth from the earlier monetary 12 months (Rs 38.4 lakh) is because of appreciation or acquisition of latest land. After FY ‘10, the corporate drops any point out of ‘land’ below ‘mounted belongings’. The rationale for this isn’t clear and a questionnaire to its officers remained unanswered on the time of publication. Equally, its FY ’20 stability sheet reveals ‘workplace house’ below the corporate’s tangible belongings value Rs 4.17 crore however it isn’t identified if this forma a part of the business growth of land.
Sarma was an ex-officio member of land advisory committee
Whereas RBS Realtor’s acquisition of the 2 plots was in violation of presidency guidelines, the truth that Sarma might need performed a task within the switch of land to the unique allottees provides one other layer of impropriety to the transaction.
Suggestions for allotment of land to such establishments/farms normally originate with the Sub-Divisional Land Advisory Committee (SDLAC), of which the native MLA is an ex-officio member. In different phrases, Sarma, because the MLA of the Jalukbari constituency below which North Guwahati comes, was presumably get together to the 2 unique suggestions – which paved the way in which for the corporate run by his spouse to accumulate prime authorities land. An RTI request filed by The Crosscurrent on the workplace of the deputy commissioner (Kamrup) in search of the minutes of all of the conferences which led to the choice to allot land to the Udayon Fishery Growth Farm and Welfare Exercise Faculty was rejected, with the nodal officer stating that the data weren’t obtainable.
The RTI reply by the Kamrup deputy commissioner stating non-availability of data of the SDLAC assembly which determined to grant land in North Guwahati. Himanta Biswa Sarma has been a member of the committee.
In Bongora, flurry of land allotments adopted by flurry of gross sales to RBS Realtors
In line with paperwork within the public area, RBS Realtors acquired seven plots of agricultural land from the federal government’s ceiling surplus land in Soiani Mouza of Bongora Gaon close to Tech Metropolis. A have a look at the land patta and daag numbers point out that the plots are located subsequent to one another.
As per land data seen by The Wire and The Crosscurrent, seven bigha, 12 lessa agricultural land (patta no. 367, daag nos 1549, 1124,1542,1544,1545,1546) was allotted to at least one Lalmoti Talukudar, widow of Manik Talukdar, as per the orders of the Kamrup district administration authorities (dated November 25, 2008). The allotment deed clearly acknowledged that the ceiling surplus land granted to her couldn’t be bought to anybody for 10 years. But, not even two months later, she bought 5 bigha, two katha and 12 lessa land to RBS Realtors. The land portal duly mentions that the land was registered within the title of RBS Realtors Pvt Ltd on January 28, 2009 – a violation of the situation below which the land was issued to Talukdar.
This doc within the Assam authorities’s Dharitri portal clearly states that the land granted to Lalmoti Talukdar can’t be bought for a ten-year interval. The identical situation is talked about in the remainder of the land allotments too.
One other plot of ceiling land comprising 13 lessa (1,872 sq ft) was allotted to at least one Basanta Nath on November 25, 2008. The federal government’s portal clearly states that the land (patta no.372, daag no. 1547) couldn’t be bought to anybody previous to the 10-year lock-in interval. But, as within the earlier case, the land was illegally bought to RBS Realtors in lower than three months. On January 28, 2009, the land was registered within the title of RBS Realtors director Ranjit Bhattacharyya. As within the earlier case, the registration of those two plots was carried out within the title of the corporate’s director Bhattacharyya slightly over three months earlier than Riniki Bhuyan Sarma give up because the director. Each the registration formalities had been carried out on the identical date.
The third plot of agricultural land from the identical village (patta no 378,daag no: 783, 784,1124, 1126) includes two bigha and eight lessa (55,152 sq ft). By an order of the state income division on the identical date as the sooner plots – November 25, 2008 – the ceiling surplus land was allotted to at least one Satya Talukdar. Nevertheless, on January 28, 2009, three katha and 13 lessa (5,760 sq ft) land of Talukdar was handed on to RBS Realtors director Ranjit Bhattacharyya. This transaction additionally happened whereas Sarma’s spouse was a director.
Riniki Bhuyan Sarma with Ranjit Bhattacharyya at a public occasion in Assam. Photograph: Particular association
The scale of the fourth plot of agricultural land (patta no.368, daag no.1543) is three bigha, two katha and 12 lessa (85,320 sq ft). The state income division allotted the plot to at least one Rajubala Talukdar, widow of Bhuginath Talukdar, as per an order dated November 25, 2008. However all the plot, meant just for landless and needy individuals, was handed over to Ranjit Bhattacharyya of RBS Realtors on January 24, 2009.
Yet one more plot issued to a person by the district administration as per the state authorities’s directive on March 19, 2009 was one bigha, three katha and 15 lessa (33,048 sq ft) within the title of 1 Bixoy Nath. Of this, two katha and 15 lessa (5,752 sq ft) land from that plot was purchased by RBS Realtors. On December 10, 2009, the land was registered within the title of the corporate’s director Ranjit Bhattacharyya. Although the land was allotted by the Assam authorities to the person through the tenure of Sarma’s spouse as the corporate director, the plot was acquired by the corporate six months after she give up as director.
The sixth plot – two katha and 15 lessa (4752 sq ft) – was allotted to at least one Beliram Talukdar on March 19, 2009. On December 10, 2009, the land was registered within the title of RBS Realtor director Bhattacharyya.
The seventh plot of land allotted to a person in the identical village was to at least one Nobin Nath. He was granted one katha and 11 lessa (2,880 sq ft) land on November 3, 2009, once more on the situation that he wouldn’t promote it to anybody earlier than the 10-year lock-in interval ended. But, barely a month later, on December 14, 2009, he bought the plot to RBS Realtors. As within the above case, this switch of land too was carried out after Sarma’s spouse had give up the directorship of the corporate.
Uncommon velocity of transaction suggests serving to hand from administration
For all of those plots, the Dharitri portal of the state authorities states that allotted land can’t not be bought to anybody or encroached by anybody for 10 years. But Riniki Bhuyan Sharma’s firm acquired the land inside months of the unique allotment.
What can be noteworthy is that 4 of the district administration’s orders granting land to the actual people had been made on the identical date – November 25, 2008. Equally, three of these plots received registered within the title of the corporate and its founding director Bhattacharyya on the identical date – January 28, 2009 – whereas one other one was 4 days previous to it – on January 24, 2009.
Equally, whereas two of the remaining three plots of ceiling surplus land had been registered within the title of RBS Realtors on the identical day – December 12, 2009, the remaining one was registered within the title of the corporate two days later – on December 14, 2009.
Basically, on the identical date, the state authorities issued 9 bigha, 4 katha and ten lessa (2,49,624 sq ft) land to 4 people from its ceiling surplus land. Barely just a few weeks later, that land belonged to RBS Realtors whereas Sarma’s spouse was officiating as its founder director.
All of the plots had been registered both within the title of the corporate or within the title of Ranjit Bhattacharyya.
Since Sarma’s belongings affidavit as a Congress candidate for the 2006 meeting elections was filed on March 16, 2006 whereas RBS Realtors was included on June 23 that 12 months, there is no such thing as a point out of her shareholdings within the firm. Nevertheless, that affidavit talked about his spouse proudly owning an agricultural plot protecting an space of 5 bigha, two katha and 11 lecha (daag no 71, 64) in Silamahekhaity below Sila mouza in North Guwahati.
By the point he filed his election affidavit for the 2011 meeting polls, there was no point out of his partner proudly owning any agricultural land however of shares (29 lakh) in unlisted firms. In his 2016 and 2021 affidavits too, no agricultural land is proven towards his partner title, although there’s a point out of his spouse proudly owning some shares in non-listed firms. Sarma’s 2021 affidavit confirmed she owned such shares value Rs 2 crore. ‘Dependent 3’ is listed as proudly owning over Rs 7 crore value of shares.
The Wire and The Crosscurrent despatched separate questionnaires to Riniki Bhuyan Sarma and Ranjit Bhattacharya, to Vashishtha Realtors and the related authorities departments coping with the land allotments on December 5, 2021. No responses have been obtained on the time of publication.
You possibly can learn the questionnaires beneath
1. To the district commissioner, Kamrup
To,
The Nodal officer/Deputy Commissioner
Kamrup
The Wire (www.thewire.in) is a New Delhi-based digital information portal which publishes in English, Hindi, Urdu and Marathi.
Along with The Cross Present (www.thecrosscurrent.com), a Guwahati-based Assamese information portal, The Wire is doing a information report on land acquisition in Kamrup district primarily based on public data.
On this regard, we’ve got a set of inquiries to you because the nodal officer for the district.
1) In line with provisions below the ‘Govt of Assam Land Coverage – 1989’, land given by the state authorities to public establishments/welfare organisations or farms can’t be ever bought to a personal particular person or an organization. Is that this appropriate?
2) Is it appropriate that seven bigha two katha and 5 lessa institutional land in Namali Jhala village of North Guwahati was allotted by the Land Income Division to Udayon Fishery Growth Farm. Was there any change within the ‘Govt of Assam Land Coverage-1989’ between 1989 and 2007?
2 A) Was any a part of this stated 7 bighas or the entire of it transferred or acquired by any non-public firm or particular person after it was allotted it to Udayon Fishery Growth Farm. In that case, to whom and when?
2 B) Was any a part of this land acquired by RBS Realtors Pvt Ltd, and if that’s the case, when and by what means?
3) In August 2006, was ten bigha land in Namali Jhala village of North Guwahati allotted below the identical coverage as aforesaid to at least one ‘Welfare Actions Faculty’.
4) Was 7 bigha, 12 lessa agricultural land allotted to at least one ‘Lal Lalmoti Talukudar, widow of Manik Talukdar in Bongora village in Kamrup district as per the orders of the Kamrup district administration authorities (dated November 25, 2008), with the stipulation that the land granted to her couldn’t be bought to anybody for 10 years?
4 A)Was this land bought to any non-public particular person or firm inside 10 years of allotment? Is the stated land registered within the title of RBS Realtors Pvt Ltd with impact from January 28, 2009?
5) In the identical village, was about 13 lessa allotted to at least one Basanta Nath on Nov 25, 2008, with the stipulation that it couldn’t be bought to anybody for 10 years from the time of allotment? Was this land bought to RBS Realtors and if that’s the case when?
6) In the identical village, was about two bigha eight lessa allotted to at least one Satya Talukdar on Nov 25, 2008, with the stipulation that it couldn’t be bought to anybody for 10 years from the time of allotment? Was this land bought to RBS Realtors and if that’s the case when?
7) In the identical village, was about three bigha two katha and 15 lessa land allotted to at least one Rajubala Talukdar on Nov 25, 2008, with the stipulation that it couldn’t be bought to anybody for 10 years from the time of allotment? Was this land bought to RBS Realtors and if that’s the case when?
8) In the identical village, was about one bigha three katha and 15 lessa allotted to at least one Bixoy Nath on March 19,2009, with the stipulation that it couldn’t be bought to anybody for 10 years from the time of allotment? Was this land bought to RBS Realtors and if that’s the case when?
9) In the identical village, was about two katha and 15 lessa allotted to at least one Beliram Talukdar on March 19, 2009, with the stipulation that it couldn’t be bought to anybody for 10 years from the time of allotment? Was this land bought to RBS Realtors and if that’s the case when?
10) In the identical village, was about one katha and 11 lessa allotted to at least one Nobin Nath on March 19, 2009, with the stipulation that it couldn’t be bought to anybody for 10 years from the time of allotment? Was this land bought to RBS Realtors and if that’s the case when?
2. To to Vashishtha Realtors
To,
Administrators of RBS Realtors Pvt Ltd/Vasistha Realtors Pvt Ltd,
The Wire (www.thewire.in) is a New Delhi-based digital information portal which publishes in English, Hindi, Urdu and Marathi.
Along with The Cross Present (www.thecrosscurrent.com), a Guwahati-based Assamese information portal, The Wire is doing a information report — primarily based on public data — on the corporate RBS Realtors buying close to about 18 acres of land in North Guwahati (institutional) and Bongora village (ceiling surplus) close to Guwahati airport in Kamrup district between 2006-2007 and 2009 respectively.
On this regard, we’ve got a set of inquiries to the corporate which subsequently modified title to Vasistha Realtors Pvt Ltd, as per paperwork submitted to the Ministry of Company Affairs.
1) State authorities land data present that RBS Realtors purchased ceiling surplus land allotted to seven people within the Bongora village of Kamrup district in 2009. We perceive this land was allotted to those people with the stipulation that these plots couldn’t be bought to anybody for ten years.
Lalmoti Talukdar, Basanta Nath, Satya Talukdar and Rajubala Talukdar had been allotted ceiling surplus land in Bongora village on November 25 2008. The 4 plots had been registered within the title of RBS Realtors on January 28, 2009 in violation of the ten 12 months lock-in interval.
Bixoy Nath and Beliram Talukdar had been allotted ceiling surplus land in Bongora on March 19,2009. The land was registered on December 10, 2009 within the title of Ranjit Bhattacharyya as director of RBS Realtors.
Nobin Nath was allotted ceiling surplus land on November 3, 2009. It was purchased by RBS Realtors on December 14, 2009.
Has there been any public notification or order that has altered this stipulation and allowed RBS Realtors to bypass the 10-year-ban on buy of such land?
2) The Assam authorities’s land data present that two plots in North Guwahati allotted to establishments/farms had been bought by RBS Realtors between 2006-2007.
Whereas one plot was acquired from Udayon Fishery Growth Farm on December 27, 2006, one other plot was purchased by the corporate from Welfare Actions Faculty on July 20, 2007.
As per the ‘Govt of Assam Land Coverage-1989’, such land can by no means be bought by unique allottees.The identical coverage notes that if it isn’t used for the aim for which it was allotted, then it have to be returned inside three years.
Was there any public notification or order that allowed RBS Realtors to bypass the rule for such land? In that case, when was such an order issued and by whom?
3) We perceive that RBS Realtors modified its title to Vasistha Realtors Pvt Ltd. Is that this appropriate?
4) On September 16, 2019 – simply after Nandil Biswa Sarma turned 18 – Meena Bhuyan transferred her shares to him. Is that this appropriate? In that case, what’s the position of Nandil Biswa Sarma in Vasistha Realtors? What’s the worth of his shareholding?
5) Your FY’20 stability sheet reveals ‘workplace house’ below the corporate’s tangible belongings value Rs 4.17 crore. Does this manner a part of the business growth of land, initially acquired by RBS Realtors in 2006-2007?
3. To Riniki Bhuyan Sarma and Ranajit Bhattacharyya
To,
Riniki Bhuyan Sarma and Ranjit Bhattacharyya,
The Wire (www.thewire.in) is a New Delhi-based digital information portal which publishes in English, Hindi, Urdu and Marathi.
Along with The Cross Present (www.thecrosscurrent.com), a Guwahati-based Assamese information portal, The Wire is doing a information report — primarily based on public data — on an organization, RBS Realtors, buying close to about 18 acres of land in North Guwahati (institutional) and Bongora village (ceiling surplus) close to Guwahati airport in Kamrup district between 2006-2007 and 2009 respectively.
In line with the Union Company Affairs ministry paperwork, each of you co-founded the corporate in 2006 and have become its founder administrators. These plots of land had been registered when each of you had been/are it’s administrators.
On this regard, we’ve got a set of questions for each of you as founder administrators of RBS Realtors which subsequently modified its title to Vasistha Realtors Pvt Ltd, as per paperwork submitted to the Ministry.
1) In line with firm filings made with the Ministry of Company Affairs, and connected on this e mail, within the first 12 months of RBS Realtor’s functioning (FY’07), each Ms Sarma and Mr Bhattacharya owned a 32.8% stake within the firm. Are you able to verify that is appropriate?
2) In 2006-2007, state authorities land data present that RBS Realtors bought two plots in Sila Sendurgopha mouza of North Guwahati on December 27, 2006 and August 20, 2007. Is that this appropriate?
2 A) Although land given by the federal government to public establishments and welfare organisations/farms, and many others. can’t be bought to or purchased by a personal particular person or a personal firm as per the land guidelines in Assam, Udayon Fishery Growth Farm bought its plot to RBS Realtors, and that too barely 4 months after buying it – on December 27, 2006.
Was there any public notification or order altering the restrictions positioned on Udayon Fishery from promoting the land and thus permitting RBS to purchase it?
2 B) Although land given by the federal government to public establishments and welfare organisations and many others. can’t be bought to or purchased by a personal particular person or a personal firm as per the land guidelines in Assam, Welfare Actions Faculty bought its plot RBS Realtors, and that too barely eleven months after buying it — on Juky 20, 2007.
Was there any public notification or order altering the restrictions positioned on Welfare Actions Faculty from promoting the land and thus permitting RBS to purchase it?
3 Ms Sarma, are you able to verify this land was transferred to RBS throughout your tenure as shareholder/director of RBS Realtors pvt ltd?
4. Mr Bhattacharyya are you able to verify this land was transferred to RBS throughout your tenure as shareholder/director of RBS Realtors pvt ltd?
Replace: December 22, 2012. On Sunday, December 20, 2021, The Wire obtained a authorized discover by registered mail issued on behalf of Vasistha Realtors Pvt Ltd. Within the discover, dated December 12, 2021, which is appended in full beneath, the corporate notes that it obtained questions despatched by The Wire earlier than publication and says that it “denies every allegation made” within the article printed above.
Particularly, Vasistha notes that every one land acquired by the corporate was executed with out breaking any legal guidelines, as a result of “previous to promoting their respective plots of land to my consumer, the distributors had acquired the standing of ‘land-holders’ as per the provisions of Part 8 of The Assam Land and Income Regulation, 1886”.
“… in absence of any statutory bar, any Round, Letter, Notification, and many others., issued by any government/officer with out statutory assist and backing, by means of an government fiat, can’t create any such bar of 10 (ten) years lock-in interval. As such, it’s abundantly clear there was no violation and/or contravention of legislation, when my consumer had bought the aforesaid plots of land from the respective distributors,” the discover says.
The PDF of the whole letter is appended beneath.
Authorized Discover-The Wire (1) by The Wire on Scribd
Siddharth Varadarajan, Founding Editor of The Wire, responds:
Our story is fully primarily based on authorities paperwork and the observations the federal government itself made about these plots of land. We additionally put a sequence of particular inquiries to Vashishtha Realtors and its promoters and waited just a few days for a reply, which by no means got here. Now, the corporate has written to us saying the plots it bought had been unencumbered and that there was no bar on their sale. That is their declare, which we dispute.
Furthermore, the second, essential aspect of our story stands unchallenged: the sample of those gross sales. Nearly all of those transactions concerned the acquisition of land by the corporate quickly after the federal government transferred the plots to both welfare our bodies or supposedly needy people. Is it a coincidence {that a} bunch of random folks simply occurred to be given plots in a main space by the federal government across the time that the corporate was concerned about buying land? Why didn’t the corporate instantly strategy the federal government for land if it had a necessity and if certainly the legislation allowed it to take possession of such plots instantly?
