Amid heavy security, eviction drive underway in Assam to clear 330 acres of land
India Today
An eviction drive is underway in Assam's Sontipur district to clear 330 acres of land. The process has been incident-free as of now, according to the officials.
A massive eviction drive is being carried out in Assam’s Sontipur district amid heavy security on Saturday. The drive is intended to clear 330 acres of land in Barchalla’s Chitalmari area on the northern bank of the Brahmaputra river. 50 excavators, including heavy machinery and a large number of workers, are deployed for the purpose.
According to the police, the process has been peaceful as all the illegal residents had already vacated the place with their belongings. The government had issued the eviction notice before the eviction drive.
"The eviction drive has been incident-free so far. There has been no law and order situation," the officer told PTI, among those overseeing the exercise.
The drive began around 5 a.m., and as most residents had already vacated their houses, the structures were being demolished with the help of excavators and other heavy machinery, officials added.
About 1,200 security personnel, including Assam Police and para-military forces, have been deployed at the site, equipped with anti-riot gear. As per government records, 299 families were living in the area, but more than 90% of them had already left after receiving the notice around eight months back, reported PTI.
However, there were residents who complained that no rehabilitation had been provided for them by the government.
"We have been living here for decades. We have no jobs and live off the fields here. We don't know where we will go," a woman told PTI.
