Will conduct study to ascertain motive behind a section of encroachers: CM

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI: The Assam government is going to conduct a study to ascertain the motive behind cross-district encroachments by a section of encroachers in the state.

Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma said, "Around eight lakh bighas of government land, including forest areas, are under encroachment in Assam. We've noticed a pattern of people from minority-dominated districts encroaching upon lands in the districts that have more habitations of the indigenous people of the state. If such people are landless ones, they would have settled in nearby areas or in adjacent districts. What could be the motive behind people from Mankachar, Barpeta, Nagaon, etc., going to settle in Lakhimpur, Golaghat, Tinsukia, etc.? Are there any political parties encouraging them to settle in indigenous people-dominated districts to bring demographic changes there? To bring all these issues to the fore, a thorough study is a must."

On the rehabilitation of evicted people, the Chief Minister said, "We'll rehabilitate the evicted people on application if they are bona fide Indians and landless people. So far, the very least number of evicted people have applied for their rehabilitation. This makes it amply clear that they're either not bona fide Indians or not landless people. We've rehabilitated those who have applied. The eviction drives will continue in VGRs, PGRs, forest lands, wetlands, etc."

The Chief Minister said that parties and organizations doing politics on eviction are no longer relevant when the administration has instructions received from the Supreme Court and the Gauhati High Court to evict encroachers from PGRs, VGRs, and forest lands.

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