8,000 Hectares Of Assam Forest Land Cleared From Suspected Bangladeshis: Himanta

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday said the government has cleared 8,000 hectares of forest land, encroached by suspected Bangladeshi people.

The government also evicted 48,000 families from across the state for encroaching on the forest and public land, Sarma said while addressing the Assam BJP's Executive Meeting, attended by its national president J P Nadda.

"We have been working day and night to clear the forests of Assam from encroachers. We have cleared 8,000 hectares of land from suspected Bangladeshi people and more than 48,000 houses have been evicted," he added.

Sarma, however, said the government has rehabilitated the poor families who were evicted.

"Those who are not poor, we told them firmly that you do not have any right to encroach on our forest lands. You cannot destroy the environment of Assam," he added.

The Himanta Biswa Sarma-led dispensation has been carrying out eviction drives in different parts of the state since it assumed power in May 2021. 

Setting aside opposition criticism, he has several times said that eviction drives to clear government and forest land will continue as long as the BJP is in power.

The chief minister also told party workers that six lakh houses in Assam under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) will be ready by February and he has invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to come for a day to inaugurate the dwelling units.

"This year, Assam's GDP will cross 6.5 lakh crore and we estimate that it will pass the Rs 10 lakh crore figure by 2026," he added.

Without naming anyone, Sarma alleged that some people are trying to spread misinformation in order to bring back the old days of agitation and violence in the state.