AHRC Asks Nagaon DC To Submit Report On Eviction Drive

The Assam Human Rights Commission (AHRC) on Wednesday asked the Nagaon Deputy Commissioner to submit a detailed report on the eviction drive in a particular area near Batadrava, the birthplace of Vaishnav saint Srimanta Sankardeva.  

Taking cognisance of media reports about the eviction of 300 families in Santijan bazaar area under Dhing revenue circle,  AHRC chairperson Justice T Vaiphei and member Deva Kumar Saikia directed the Deputy Commissioner, Narendra Kumar Shah, to submit a detailed report on this particular case by January 18 next.

The AHRC observed that the eviction drive had involved around 1,000 security personnel. Ten bulldozers and two excavators were used in the exercise. 

The eviction drive had begun on Monday morning and concluded on Tuesday and over 1,200 bighas of land were cleared of alleged encroachers in Santijan bazaar area, Haidubi, Lalungaon, Jamaibasti and Balisatra of Batadrava Mouza under Dhing revenue circle.

The move to clear land in Nagoan district, billed as one of the largest in the region in terms of the number of people affected, uprooting more than 5,000 alleged encroachers, was peacefully completed amidst tight security.        

The district administration had served notices to over 1,000 families of alleged encroachers in October to clear the land.

Heavy security arrangements were made in the area and the police force, headed by senior officers, was camping in the area since December 13.

Nagaon Superintendent of Police Leena Doley said that the people cooperated with the administration with more than 80 per cent of them dismantling their houses, shops and other structures on their own and moving out.  

Since the BJP-led government returned to power last year, several eviction drives had been undertaken in the state, including the exercise at Gorukhuti in Darrang district in September last year resulting in the death of two persons.