Rights panel seeks report on Assam eviction

Assam Chief Minister tells Assembly that eviction drive from government and forest lands will continue

GUWAHATI

The Assam Human Rights Commission (AHRC) on Wednesday asked the administration of central Assam’s Nagaon district to submit a report on the eviction of about 300 families who had allegedly occupied government land.

January 18, 2023 has been set as the deadline for the submission of the report.

The Nagaon administration started the eviction drive around the birthplace of 15-16th century Vaishnav saint-reformer Srimanta Sankaradeva in Batadrava on December 19. The encroachers had built permanent houses and fish breeding farms in the occupied land, officials said.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma justified the eviction drive in the Assembly and said a similar drive would soon take place in the State’s Goalpara district.

“We are clearing government and forest lands according to a High Court order. There is no point talking about such eviction exercises, which will continue until all the forest and government lands across the State are cleared,” he said.

The Chief Minister also underlined the government’s commitment to free the land belonging to satras (Vaishnav monasteries) such as Batadrava from encroachers. “These satras represent the identity and culture of the Assamese people,” he said.