CM Sarma vows to continue evictions; drives planned in Nagaon, Goalpara, Dhubri

Guwahati, July 7: Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, on Monday, reiterated his government’s commitment to intensify eviction drives across Assam, targeting encroachments on government land allegedly by illegal immigrants.

The drives, the Chief Minister said, will be conducted in Nagaon, Goalpara, and Dhubri in the coming days.

Speaking on the sidelines of a programme in Kokrajhar, Sarma asserted, “The BJP will carry out eviction drives in Chapar tomorrow, Dhing on July 12 and in Goalpara on July 10. No one can stop us. Bangladeshi nationals will be evicted.”

Slamming the Congress for what he termed as “politicising the issue”, Sarma said, “Their interest is not in safeguarding the rights of the Assamese people but in shielding illegal immigrants. People from Karimganj, Silchar, Dhubri, and elsewhere have encroached on land in Lakhimpur, and Congress wants to justify that.”

Meanwhile, preparations are underway in Bilasipara, Dhubri district, where an eviction drive is scheduled for July 8. The operation will cover areas including Santoshpur, Charuwabakhra, and Chirakuta.

A large contingent of police and armed personnel has been deployed in and around Tilapara and Santoshpur to maintain law and order. The administration has brought in bulldozers and backhoe loaders in anticipation of resistance.

The land being cleared, approximately 4,000 bighas, has been earmarked for a proposed thermal power project.

The Assam government has already conducted surveys of the area, with Chief Minister Sarma personally inspecting the site on two occasions.

Jeet Adani, Director of the Adani Group—expected to be associated with the project—has also visited the location.

As notices were served, several families reportedly began dismantling their homes voluntarily, marking an emotional end to years of settlement in the area. 

People living in the area began dismantling their houses in Dhubri (AT Photo)

In Goalpara’s Krishnai Paikan protected forest area, notices have been served to around 1,080 families occupying approximately 1,038 bighas of land.

The eviction, set to begin after July 10, is aimed at mitigating rising human-elephant conflict in the region.

Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Tejas Mariswamy told the press that nearly 40% of the residents have already vacated voluntarily.

“After July 10, we will proceed with the eviction of the remaining families. The drive is part of our larger conservation goal. We plan to restore the forest through a bamboo plantation initiative immediately after the operation,” Mariswamy said.

Goalpara's Paikan Forest will witness eviction to address man-elephant conflict (AT Photo)

In Nagaon district’s Dhing area, the administration has issued notices to those encroaching on government land in Alitangani Mouza.

The Circle Officer, in a notice dated July 5, asked residents to vacate the area within seven days or face eviction under legal provisions.

While the government maintains that all legal processes are being followed and that the operations are being conducted peacefully, the drives have sparked both concern and political controversy.

Notice issued by the office of Dhing circle officer (AT Photo)

The opposition has accused the state of targeting marginalised groups under the guise of development and conservation.

As Assam gears up for these operations, tension continues to build in the targeted regions—even as the administration insists the moves are necessary and inevitable.