Guwahati: The Goalpara district administration on Monday conducted an eviction drive in five revenue villages under the Matia Revenue Circle, removing alleged encroachments from agricultural land and evicting 73 families.
The operation began at around 8 am in Harimura, Bhojmala Tengabari, Paschim Bhelakhamar, Kharija Manikpur and Jotsarwadi. Around 10 excavators were deployed for the drive, while a large police contingent was stationed in the area to maintain security.
According to the district administration, the families had allegedly occupied agricultural land and built houses without obtaining the required change in land classification. Officials also alleged that the blocking of natural drainage channels and waterways used for agricultural purposes had disrupted farming activities in the area.
However, some of the evicted families disputed the circumstances leading to their settlement. They claimed they had moved to the area after losing their homes and agricultural land to river erosion in Barpeta district.
The families said their ancestral properties in the Bagbor and present-day Mandia areas were washed away by the Brahmaputra in 2017. They subsequently purchased land and settled in Goalpara, they claimed.
While acknowledging that some natural waterways had been obstructed, as mentioned in the administrative notice, the families said they were unaware that the land classification had to be changed before residential structures could be built.
They also expressed concern over the notice period provided by the administration, saying they had been given little time to vacate their homes. The eviction, they said, has left several families facing hardship after they had already been displaced by river erosion.
Meanwhile, some local residents supported the administration’s action, arguing that agricultural land needs to be protected from encroachment to preserve farming and the livelihoods of cultivators.
Residents of Harimura further claimed that some indigenous Assamese families were also among those affected. They alleged that three families had constructed houses on legally held pattadari land at Magurmari field, while several other families from outside the district had purchased agricultural land and built houses without obtaining the necessary change in land classification.
Local residents welcomed the eviction drive and thanked the administration and the state government, describing the action as an effort to protect agricultural land and safeguard the interests of farmers.