By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Nov 13: A renewed crackdown is under way in Garo Hills against illegal settlers, with the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) vowing not to tolerate encroachments or unauthorised businesses within its jurisdiction.
Deputy Chief Executive Member (CEM) Nikman Marak said on Thursday that the Council is maintaining strict vigilance to ensure that only legal residents and licensed traders operate under its authority. “We are continuously monitoring and we won’t allow any illegal settlers. Anyone under our jurisdiction should be legal,” Marak asserted.
Raising serious concerns, he revealed that several individuals running businesses in Garo Hills lack valid identification and that some are suspected to have come from Bangladesh. “Many of them are doing illegal business; some are even from Bangladesh and do not even have ID cards, yet they are smoothly running their business here. We cannot allow this,” he stated.
Marak confirmed that evictions have already taken place, adding, “Yes, we have detected and already evicted many families — around 21 of them last time — and we are continuing the process. We are conducting surveys and inquiries along with the state government.”
The latest operation, he said, was carried out in the Ronshai area near Tikrikilla, where 15 families were removed.
“They don’t even have address proof, and they had named their village Kokrajhar in Garo Hills. We don’t have any village called Kokrajhar in West Garo Hills,” he clarified.
The GHADC, Marak stressed, will not relent until all illegal settlers are identified and evicted. “The crackdown is continuing,” he affirmed.
