Guwahati: Even as Assam remains gripped by election fervour, the state government on Monday carried out an eviction drive in the Sootea area of Biswanath district, targeting alleged encroachments on Village Grazing Reserve (VGR) land.
The Biswanath district administration conducted the operation at three locations—Milanpur, Soraijonia and Solahola, where a total of 65 families were accused of illegally occupying the reserve land.
According to officials, the drive covered around 70 to 75 bighas of land. Of the families affected, 34 were from Milanpur, 16 from Soraijonia and 15 from Solahola.
“Three locations are being cleared today. Approximately 70 to 75 bighas of land are involved, and the eviction process will be completed within the day,” the Circle Officer of Naduar said.
To ensure the operation proceeded without disruption, around 200 personnel from the police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) were deployed in the area. Bulldozers and excavators were also brought in to demolish and remove the encroached structures.
Officials said that most of the families had vacated the land before the eviction drive began.
“People are cooperating with us. Before the eviction started, they had already moved out from the sites,” the Circle Officer added.
Earlier, on December 25, the Biswanath district administration carried out a large-scale eviction drive in Baghmari targeting alleged encroachments on government land. The operation was conducted amid heavy security deployment, with more than 17 bulldozers and several excavators used during the exercise.
Authorities had stated that the Baghmari eviction followed notices issued in August to 732 families accused of occupying 265 bighas of Village Grazing Reserve land under plot numbers 203 and 189.
Meanwhile, following a February verdict by the Supreme Court upholding the Assam government’s authority to remove encroachments from forest land, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma termed the judgment a “landmark decision” that would bring greater clarity and momentum to ongoing eviction drives.
The Chief Minister also said that the government would comply with the apex court’s directive to form a committee before undertaking such eviction operations.