Will provide food & lodge to affected students: DC

Eviction in Amchang Wildlife Sanctuary

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, Dec 1: Amchang demolition drive makes a blended tale of panic and assurance – the administration first panicked encroachers by demolishing their houses and then started assuaging them when the latter pressed the panic button.

Addressing the media at Circuit House in Guwahati on Friday, Kamrup (M) Deputy Commissioner M Angamuthu conveyed the directive issued by Chief Minister Sarbanda Sonowal asking the administration to make the list of students of the school that was demolished in the recent eviction drive and provide them all facilities, including food and accommodation. According to the Deputy Commissioner, the survey of the affected students that began on Friday will be completed within two or three days.   The Deputy Commissioner said: “Most of the evicted families are erosion affected ones. We’re going to identify them with the help of circle officers, and rehabilitate them in and around Guwahati. However, it’s going to take some time.”

When asked as to why a ‘mazar’ that has proper document of getting myadi patta was also demolished in the recent drive, the DC said: “We’re going to verify everything. If the mazar has patta, we’ll conduct an inquiry into the matter.” The DC had a harrowing time when asked him as to why the school that was set up way back on 1993 and that had electricity connection, water supply and the like. When asked if the government had a set intention to demolish the school, what had made it give all utility services to the school, the Deputy Commissioner said: “I don’t know all these. What I know is that there was no eviction on any revenue land. The eviction was confined to forest land. If any of them have pattas that will come under inquiry.”

The reporters said that the administration did give enough time to commercial institutions before going for demolition. The media asked the Deputy Commissioner as to why the administration discrimited against the commoners by not giving them any time to replace their household goods before demolishing their houses, the Deputy Commissioner said that he was not aware of that. “If anything of that has taken place, we’re going to take action,” he said, and added: “I’ll ask the Forest Department to erect a permanent boundary wall around the sanctuary so as not to allow fresh encroachment.”