The Land Revenue department of KAAC on Friday carried out eviction for the second time in the Dudu colony area at Lahorijan under Bokajan Sub-Division in Karbi Anglong district.
The department was assisted by the district administration and police force during the drive.
Earlier on Monday, the department had conducted an eviction in the area and had dismantled around 115 dwelling units including concrete structures and makeshift huts spread over an area of 100 Bighas of KAAC revenue land.
As per the official record of the KAAC Land and Revenue Department, a total of 210 Bigha of government land was occupied by encroachers.
The December 20 drive, however, could clear only 100 Bigha of this land as some residents obtained a stay injunction of Guwahati High Court and escaped the authorities bulldozers that day.
The Chief Executive Member of KAAC Tuliram Ronghang in a press meet held at his official residence soon after Monday’s drive said that the Land Revenue department of KAAC verified the land records and found that no individual in the Dudu Colony area possess any legal land documents issued by the KAAC and the area was illegally occupied by doubtful migrants from Bangladesh using fake documents.
Tension prevailed in the area following today’s drive as authorities brought down several structures including a Madrassa in the area which according to the evicted people had a stay injunction of Guwahati High Court.
The demolition of the Madrassa triggered protests in the area and evicted people mostly women and children demonstrated by holding placards and the High Court’s order preventing the administration from demolishing the institution.
The situation on the ground remained tense and the administration had to use moderate force to disperse the crowd while knocking down the Madrassa.
Some evicted people of the Dudu Colony area told this correspondent that they have settled in that part of the land since 1910, much before the formation of KAAC.
Evicted people also questioned the Land revenue department as to why the department was collecting annual revenue in the form of “Khazana” if the land in question is illegally occupied and the department had not issued any legal land documents in the area.
They also pointed out that they are genuine citizens of India and are not “illegal migrants” from Bangladesh as is being claimed by KAAC CEM Tuliram Ronghang.
The evicted people also said that the drive was politically instigated and specifically meant to target the minority Muslim community living in the area.
They accused CEM Ronghang of being behind the demolition drive which was conducted under the guise of retrieving encroached land of KAAC.
Senior officials of the Land and Revenue Department, Deputy Commissioner of Karbi Anglong Dibakar Nath and Superintendent of Police Pusparaj Singh monitored the eviction process which started at 8 in the morning and continued till late afternoon.
Over 400 security personnel including CRPF and Assam police had been deployed in the area to prevent any untoward situation during the drive.
The district administration has also promulgated section 144 CrPC in the general area of Lahorijan to maintain law and order in the area.
Shops and business establishments remained closed within the radius of 700 metres of Dudu Colony during the drive.