Kolkata, 19 February (H.S.): The political temperature in West Bengal has risen after the Land & Land Reforms Department issued a show-cause notice to Mira Sultana, wife of suspended Trinamool Congress MLA Humayun Kabir. The notice alleges that the classification of a 0.2-acre plot in Beldanga, Murshidabad district, was changed without the requisite approval from the competent authority.
The action follows a mass petition submitted to the department. According to the notice, altering the nature and use of the land violates Section 4C of the West Bengal Land Reforms Act, 1955. Under this provision, any raiyat must obtain the collector’s permission before converting agricultural land to non-agricultural or other uses. The collector has the authority to approve, reject, or set the effective date of such changes.
Sultana has been given seven days to respond to the notice, explaining why action under Section 4D should not be taken against her. The department contends that the land classification was altered without following the prescribed procedure.
The case has also drawn attention because the land in question is linked to the proposed construction of a Babri Masjid replica in Beldanga, modelled on the structure demolished in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992. The project has been described as a long-standing ambition of Humayun Kabir.
Kabir, who represents the Bharatpur Assembly constituency, has questioned the timing of the notice. He alleged that the action came long after construction and development activities had begun and described it as a political conspiracy orchestrated by the state government and the ruling Trinamool Congress.
He added that he had previously attempted to complete the necessary land mutation multiple times, but officials had not deemed it necessary. Kabir stated he would respond legally and submit an appropriate reply to the authorities.
The notice has intensified political debate in the state. Opposition parties maintain that the notice reflects standard administrative procedure and adherence to the law, while Kabir’s supporters argue that it is an act of political retaliation.
Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh
