Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma has revealed that in the last three years, the State Government, with strong public support, has reclaimed 167 square kilometres of land from encroachers. This area is larger than the city of Chandigarh.
Reaffirming the government’s dedication to eliminating land encroachments, the CM asserted that efforts will continue until every inch of State land is free from illegal occupation.
In recent actions, the Sipajhar district administration resumed its eviction campaign against families, illegally occupying land earmarked for the Gorukhuti Agricultural Project.
Previously, Sipajhar Revenue Circle Officer Ritimani Das had instructed 620 encroaching families to move to Dalgaon via Parhi Dhalpur. Despite these orders, the families did not vacate the land, leading to today’s operation where Officer Das and Additional Deputy Commissioner Gopal Sharma oversaw the demolition of homes belonging to 397 families, assisted by a large security force.
Post-demolition, many displaced residents hurriedly relocated with their belongings. The Gorukhuti Agricultural Project, which spans 8,700 bighas, has seen 6,800 bighas cleared of encroachments, with the remainder still under illegal occupation.
In September 2021, the administration had already evicted 1,418 families from Dhalpur to advance the project. This led to calls from minority groups, including the All Assam Minority Students’ Union (AAMSU), for the rehabilitation of those displaced.
