BAIHATA CHARIALI, July 22 � The people of North Kamrup area have welcomed the eviction drive in Guwahati city and demanded its extension to the outskirts of the city. The people of North Kamrup area, including activists of the North Kamrup Agriculture Land Preservation Committee and other organisations, have lauded the steps taken by the Kamrup district authority against the encroachers in the city. On the same lines, they have demanded of the district authority and the State-government to continue the eviction drive on either side of the National Highway-31.
Members of the North Kamrup Agriculture Land Preservation Committee alleged that a number of plots of land under the North Guwahati and Kamalpur Revenue Circle Offices have been encroached on by non-Assamese traders in the name of industrialisation in the State, which is totally illegal. They said that in North Guwahati, Gauripur, Changsari, Amingaon, Sindurighopa, Pacharia Baihata and Kamalpur, a number of so-called industries have been established which are only meant to earn profits for corporate groups and are not in the interest of the public. This has resulted in the shrinkage of agricultural land and created artificial floods, waterlogging and other problems to farmers.
In a meeting of the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) held recently at Kolazol, Akhil Gogoi, KMSS president, alleged that a number of plots of government land have been encroached on by some industrialists on either side of the National Highway-31 by �managing� some corrupt officers. Some of these industries have damaged agricultural land and disturbed the normal water flow into rivers and pits. On the other hand, some industrialists have blocked the waterways and small channels by constructing big walls and other infrastructural structures that has also created problems to farmers.
In Kolazol near Baihata, the embankment along the Kolazol river has been encroached on by industrialists and at Baihata, a paper mill had encroached on government land. The district administration carried out an eviction drive recently, but it did not carry out any eviction operation in Kolazol despite repeated demands by the public.
Similarly, the people of the greater area have demanded an eviction drive at Changsari and Sindurighopa where a number of big plots of land, which are generally low-lying, have been filled up with red soil, blocking water outlets.
The public here have demanded the district authority to carry out its eviction drive without bias and extend it to the outskirts of the city and also to stop the encroachment and cutting of hills in the North Kamrup area.
