Guwahati, June 16: A large-scale eviction drive was launched in Assam’s Goalpara district on Monday to reclaim nearly 1,500 bighas of government land allegedly encroached upon in the Hasila Beel area of the district.
The operation, led by the civil administration with full police support, targets the removal of 667 illegally-constructed households and various unauthorised structures. Officials said the encroached land includes five schools and a Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) project, all operating without legal sanction.
In the lead-up to the eviction, the administration initiated an extensive notification campaign. Notices were formally served to illegal settlers, and public appeals to vacate the area were made through banners and loudspeaker announcements, urging residents to leave by June 15.
Several structures — including homes, shops, boundary walls, buildings, and even private pipelines and borewells are now slated for demolition as part of the ongoing operation. To ensure a smooth execution, Goalpara Police have deployed heavy security in the area to maintain law and order and prevent any untoward incidents.
According to officials, the drive is part of a wider initiative to reclaim encroached public land and repurpose it for public infrastructure and sustainable development projects. Recently, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma reaffirmed his government’s commitment to tackling the widespread issue of land encroachment, calling the ongoing effort “monumental in scope.”
Sarma also raised concerns about a “politically-motivated demographic transformation” that he believes threatens the state’s social equilibrium. The Chief Minister provided an update on the substantial actions taken in the last four years to reclaim government land, stating that a large-scale campaign against encroachment has been underway, with considerable success.
“In the past four years, we have conducted a comprehensive campaign to reclaim government land, and this effort will continue,” he said. According to the Chief Minister, eviction operations have been carried out across all districts, with most reclaimed areas remaining free of new settlements.
IANS