Guwahati: The Assam government is preparing to launch an eviction drive in Sribhumi’s Patharkandi area, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Monday.
Speaking to reporters, Sarma confirmed that plans are underway to deploy excavators and backhoe loaders for the operation.
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“There is a possibility of an eviction drive in Patharkandi. A plan is being prepared. And not only Patharkandi, eviction will take place in the Barak Valley as well,” he stated.
The Chief Minister also reiterated concerns over illegal migration, saying that Bangladeshi nationals continue to be detected across the state.
“SPs inform us daily that Bangladesh nationals are being captured. Many are still inside the state, but it is not possible for police to catch everyone,” he said.
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Sarma assured, however, that Bengali Hindus in Assam are “100 percent safe.” He added, “Since I became Chief Minister, what problems have Bengali Hindus faced? There was only the Aadhaar issue, which has been resolved. Now every Bengali Hindu, Assamese Hindu—everyone is Hindu.”
In July, PWD (Roads) Minister Krishnendu Paul had also signaled a large-scale eviction drive in Sribhumi and the wider Barak Valley. He alleged that encroachments, particularly in reserve forest areas like Pataria and Dohaliya, were aimed at “changing the demographic composition” of the region. Paul stressed that the government would act firmly, with “no leniency shown to violators.”