Agartala, May 22 (Reporter) Aiming at resolving a long-standing land dispute, Tripura government has allowed rubber cultivation on government land which has been under the occupation of the villagers. Officials said as many as 338 farmers, who had occupied government agricultural land, have agreed to pay a nominal tax to the government in West Piriakhola village under the Rajnagar Assembly Constituency of South Tripura district. Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Ratan Lal Nath stated that certain portions of land in West Piriakhola, originally owned by the Horticulture Corporation, had remained unused for a long time. Taking advantage of this, poor farmers began cultivating rubber in the area. However, legal complications soon arose since the land was government-owned and the cultivators lacked valid documents. Occupying government land is not the right way. There are rules and regulations in place, be it for agriculture, industry, or other uses, Nath emphasized. In a consensus reached during the latest meeting, attended by rubber garden owners and government officials, it was decided that the farmers would be allowed to continue cultivation after entering into a formal agreement with the government. The farmers have agreed to pay a nominal tax as part of the arrangement. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is expected to be signed soon, which will legally recognize the cultivation activities while ensuring government oversight and equitable benefit-sharing...////...