Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday announced that 26 hectares of land — equivalent to roughly 65 football fields — have been reclaimed from encroachers in the Rengma Reserve Forest, as part of the state’s ongoing forest eviction campaign.
Sharing the update on social media platform X, CM Sarma declared: “The hot pursuit continues! Our bulldozers reached Rengma Reserve Forest yesterday to pursue Part II of the eviction drive. The result? 26 hectares of forest land reclaimed. The action will continue.”
Gauhati High Court Backs Government’s Anti-Encroachment Efforts
The court also ruled that encroachers be given 15 days to respond to eviction notices and another 15 days to vacate, before any forced removals are carried out.
Welcoming the court’s verdict, CM Sarma called it a “historic judgement” that would strengthen the government’s resolve to protect forest land and prevent political interference. “Today’s verdict has stopped the Congress party’s promise of returning forest lands after forming the government. This government will not compromise,” he asserted.
CM Targets Past Governments, Pledges to Continue Bulldozer Action
The Chief Minister blamed previous Congress-led governments (2006–2014) for allowing large-scale illegal settlements, and said the ruling now offers a legal framework to expand eviction efforts. “The division bench has given a guideline for the future also. After this, our fight to free forest lands will intensify,” he added.
The High Court’s directive also applies to neighbouring states — Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, and Mizoram — and orders the creation of a high-level committee to resolve encroachments along interstate forest boundaries.
Sarma also confirmed that similar efforts would soon target other protected land categories, including VGR/PGR lands and government revenue lands, signalling an uncompromising stance on land protection.