Assam govt launches massive eviction drive to clear encroachment on 11,000 bighas of land

Guwahati, July 29 (IANS) The state administration in Assam's Golaghat district has launched a large-scale eviction drive on Tuesday to clear at least 11,000 bighas of encroached land, officials said.

Huge security arrangements are placed in the Rengma Reserve forest at Uriamghat, bordering Nagaland where the eviction drive is being carried out by the Golaghat district administration.

In the eviction exercise, nearly 2,000 families accused of encroaching upon forest land in the Rengma Reserve Forest under the Sarupathar sub-division in the Golaghat district are set to leave the forest area.

The encroached land, reportedly converted into betel nut plantations allegedly linked to a larger "betel mafia" network, has drawn sharp administrative action following extensive land surveys across 30 villages in the area.

Authorities have deployed a formidable force, around 700 to 800 personnel from the Assam Police, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and the Forest Department.

Heavy machinery, including bulldozers and excavators, has also been mobilised to carry out the eviction. Many of those facing eviction are Bengali-speaking Muslims, a community often branded as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. Reports suggest that a significant number have fled the area in fear, seeking shelter in other parts of Assam.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stated that 70 per cent of the identified encroachers had vacated the land voluntarily.

He reiterated the government's firm stance on reclaiming forest and government land.

According to official estimates, over the past four years, 1.29 lakh bighas (around 42,500 acres) have been cleared of encroachments, but approximately 29 lakh bighas (more than 9.5 lakh acres) still remain under illegal occupation across the state.

The state government claimed that many of the encroachers originate from Muslim-majority districts within Assam, such as Nagaon, Morigaon, Sonitpur, Cachar, Dhubri, Barpeta, and Hojai, as well as from neighbouring states like West Bengal and Bihar.

As tensions rise, the Nagaland government has issued an advisory urging its border districts to remain vigilant and prevent any spillover of displaced families from Assam into its territory during the course of the eviction.

--IANS

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