350 illegal houses evicted, 8 arrested

FROM A CORRESPONDENT

DIGBOI, June 16: The joint forces of various security wings in association with Forest Protection Forces and staffs and officials under Digboi Forest Division in a bid to protect the green cover evicted around 350 houses erected illegally by the encroacher in the heart of  the mphai Reserve Forest under Jagun Range under  Digboi Division in Tinsukia District.  According to official sources, more than 80 hectares of mphai RF occupied illegally by the settlers affected by tural calamities in other part of the Districts have been evicted by forces engaged in the assignment either by dismantling or setting the houses on fire. The drive, design and layouts of the plan which was initiated articulately brought the desired end without any confrontation or any unpleasant occurrence in the process unlike the previous episode marked by violence. Meanwhile, reiterating the minutes of the meeting held at the office of the SDO Margherita on May 9  wherein the representatives of various organisation, officials of the police and civil administration together with government gaonburas had discussed and found out the ways and means to evict the RF and rehabilitation of the wretched occupants, the representatives of some tribal organisations demanded the administration and forest department to immediately take similar steps to evict several hundreds of forest land already encroached by local businessmen and other departmental people by means of expanding their green tea garden.