BOKAKHAT, June 2 � The Bokakhat civil administration had held a meeting to discuss the eviction issue, especially in the areas under the 2nd, 3rd and 5th additions of the Kaziranga National Park. The eviction drive has caused panic among the residents of those areas.
It may be mentioned here that the nearby areas of the national park and those along the NH-37, including Borbeel, Haldibari, Sildubi, Mohpara, Harmoti, etc., are inhabited by more than 500 families belonging to tea, ex-tea and tribal communities. To defuse the tension and find an amicable solution to the issue, a high-level discussion was held at the conference hall of the SDO (Civil), Bokakhat, in the presence of Kaliabor MP Gourav Gogoi, local MLA Arun Phukan, government officials and others on May 30.
Prior to the meeting, another discussion was held at the PWD�s IB where Assam Education Minister Sarat Borkotoki, the local MP and MLA, ADC, Golaghat, SDO (Civil) and SDC, Bokakhat, were present.
Dharmeswar Kurmi, ZPC member of Kaziranga, Tapan Karmakar, secretary of the Bokakhat branch of the ACMS, JS Rajkhowa, journalist, Munin Sarma and Animesh Saikia opposed the eviction drive and called for a permanent solution to the issue.
The draft map of the eco-sensitive zone of the park is not free from bias and the boundary should be fixed at zero point so that the public would not be affected, the speakers in the meeting maintained.
MP Gourav Gogoi assured that the Government would reconsider the matter. No eviction will be conducted and the matter will be discussed with the Chief Minister of Assam for a permanent solution, he added.