Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has confirmed the continuation of eviction drives across the state, highlighting that encroachments over the past four years have led to the clearance of over 25,000 acres of land. Speaking at a press conference following a cabinet meeting in Guwahati, Sarma announced an upcoming eviction effort in Goalpara on Saturday, aimed at reclaiming forest land from alleged encroachment.
The Chief Minister stated, “As of now, the Assam government has cleared thousands of bighas of land in the last four years. In my view, it is not less than 25,000 acres of land. This is huge.” He plans to hold another press briefing next week to provide detailed data on eviction drives since he took office in May 2021.
The Goalpara eviction drive targets approximately 1,040 bighas of land in the Paikan Reserve Forest within the Krishnai Forest Range, expected to displace around 1,080 families. “The Gauhati High Court has directed us to clear forest land. It emphasized that we should provide drinking water and essential items to those who are evicted,” Sarma noted.
Sarma indicated that the government is prepared to offer land rights to evicted individuals, contingent upon them being bona fide Indian citizens and genuinely landless. He clarified that “they have to be landless in their native places, not at the evicted site.” Historically, he suggested, only a small fraction of those displaced seek land rights post-eviction.
Discussing a recent eviction drive in Lakhimpur, Sarma claimed that individuals from minority-dominated regions were residing in this northern Assam district. He alleged, “There was a big conspiracy to change the demography of Lakhimpur. Without the BJP, there would not have been a restoration of demography. We have restored the demography at numerous locations where evictions have occurred.”
Sarma also mentioned that Hindus have become a minority in areas such as Dhubri town, claiming that a significant number of migrants from Barpeta have altered the demographic landscape of western Assam. “In Goalpara, there is a centuries-old temple, yet Hindus in the region are now a minority,” he added.
In a separate eviction drive, around 3,500 bighas of land were cleared from various villages under Chapar circle to facilitate the Adani Group in establishing a power plant, affecting approximately 1,100 families. During this operation, alleged encroachers reportedly damaged construction equipment and attacked police personnel, prompting law enforcement to utilize baton charges to control the situation.
Last month, Sarma had visited the proposed site for the thermal power plant and revealed plans for the establishment of a 3,400 MW facility, with a tender for the project to be issued soon.
Original Source: https://www.indiatodayne.in/assam/story/eviction-drives-to-continue-himanta-says-25000-acres-of-land-cleared-of-encroachment-in-4-yrs-1242903-2025-07-11?utm_source=rssfeed
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Publish Date: 2025-07-11 10:31:00
