Guwahati: Authorities in Assam’s Nagaon district on Wednesday called off a scheduled eviction drive after alleged encroachers at Jengoni in the Dhing area voluntarily demolished their own structures ahead of the operation.
District Commissioner Debasish Sarma, who had visited the site on August 22, had urged the settlers to vacate the land peacefully. Responding to the appeal, the residents began pulling down their houses and business establishments late Tuesday night.
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“The settlers demolished around 120 business establishments and 51 houses on their own, thereby clearing nearly 28 bighas of government land,” Dhing Circle Officer Sourabh Kumar Das said. “As a result, no eviction drive was carried out.”
Reacting to the development, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma posted on social media, “The tide is turning. The encroachers who were earlier fighting our eviction drives are now supporting it… The best way forward is compliance over confrontation.”
Officials said eviction notices have already been served in seven other areas under Dhing Revenue Circle, covering about 1,047 bighas of land.
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Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition and senior Congress leader Debabrata Saikia petitioned the Assam Human Rights Commission, alleging “continuous violation of human rights” in the government’s eviction drives. He accused the BJP-led state government of displacing minorities, erosion-hit families, and Christian tribals under its “anti-encroachment agenda.”
Saikia further alleged that the government misused forest land for police infrastructure without central clearance and urged the commission to safeguard the constitutional rights of affected families while holding authorities accountable for forced evictions.