Health
92Year cancer survivor inspires the world with his
According to a district administration official, security forces have been patrolling the region since August 31...
Digital Desk: A major eviction drive to clear 330 acres of land in Assam's Sonitpur district began on Saturday morning amid strong security.
Reportedly, over 50 excavators, heavy machinery, and a huge number of employees were deployed for the demolition effort in the No 3 Chitalmari district of Barchalla on the northern bank of the Brahmaputra river.
The eviction process has been peaceful so far, with almost all of the illegal inhabitants having already left the area with their goods after getting the eviction notice, a police officer said.
"The eviction drive has so far gone off without a problem. No situation regarding law and order has occurred," the officer, who is among those overseeing the exercise," he added.
The drive began at around 5 am and, and as the majority of the inhabitants had already left, the houses were being demolished with the use of excavators and other heavy machinery, he added.
Reportedly, the area to be cleared has been divided into three parts and the demolition in one part has been completed by 9 am
With anti-riot gear on, about 1,200 security personnel, including Assam Police and paramilitary forces, have been stationed at the location.
According to government data, the area once housed 299 families, but more than 90% of them have already fled since they received the notification about eight months ago.
Meanwhile, some of the residents who were being evicted claimed that the government hadn't given them any rehabilitation.
"We have been living here for decades. We have no jobs and live off the fields here. We don’t know where we will go," a woman said, gathering the last of her belongings as the excavators approached the structure that used to be her home.
According to a district administration official, security forces have been patrolling the region since August 31. This has caused the locals to leave the site voluntarily.
"Due to a number of factors, we were unable to conduct the eviction drive earlier. The majority of the population now recognizes that this is government property and that it would be used for construction projects," the official said.
Locals claimed that most of the people had migrated to the area several decades ago from the Nagaon and Morigaon districts on the southern bank of the Brahmaputra following massive erosions.
When asked about the demography of the area, the district official stated, "It is a combination of several communities. Bengali-speaking Muslims have the most families, followed by Bengali Hindus and Gorkhas. The two-time BJP MLA for the region, Ganesh Kumar Limbu, asserted that most of the families that lived here have homes elsewhere, which is why they departed without a protest."
Special Director General of Police (law and order) Gyanendra Pratap Singh had visited the location on Thursday and examined the security measures.
He told reporters that one IG-level officer and three SP-level officers would be present during the eviction drive.
Additionally, he claimed that the property was being cleared because the government intended to build a solar power facility there.
Leave A Comment