Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, during his visit to Uriamghat in Golaghat district, addressed the escalating issue of large-scale land encroachments in the region bordering Nagaland. He stated that thousands of acres of moist forest land have been unlawfully occupied.
Speaking to the media, the CM stated, “You must have seen that the hills and bighas of wet terrain once cleared have been grabbed. All this land has been encroached upon.”
Sarma warned that entire hillsides have been taken over often through systematic cultivation of crops such as betel nut by hundreds of families. He likened the situation to an organised land grab rather than a haphazard settlement. “If you encroach, what will happen? This is what’s at stake,” he posed rhetorically.
He explained that eviction operations are being planned across multiple departments, indicating a multi-agency campaign: “Different departments forest, revenue, police will act. Our officers and staff will continuously inspect and enforce.”
The proposed eviction drive in Uriamghat has prompted a mass exodus of alleged encroachers, with over 1,000 freight vehicles leaving the area under the jurisdiction of Uriamghat police station. Local reports suggest that small freight vehicles are charging between Rs 8,000 and Rs 12,000 for transportation, while larger trucks demand anywhere from Rs 15,000 to Rs 25,000, leading to estimated profits of crores for local transport operators.
Assam CM has stated that more than 1200 hectares of land size of Chandigarh has been cleared. As per data accessed by TDG, 12,0003 hectares of area of land illegal encroached has been cleared by the Assam government.
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