Govt plans to evict 1k families for aerocity project: Saikia
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Guwahati: Opposition leader and senior Congressman Debabrata Saikia claimed on Tuesday that the state govt plans to seize land from hundreds of indigenous families near Guwahati airport to hand it over to the Adani group for an aerocity project.
The move has sparked unrest in the villages of Garal, Mirzapur, and Azara, as residents received land acquisition notices from the Kamrup (Metro) administration in recent days.
"The Assam govt is planning to evict more than 1000 families and acquire a large amount of land for the proposed Adani group's aerocity at Guwahati airport. The govt intends to acquire the land in the name of Assam Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC) to transfer it to the Adani Group for the aerocity," Saikia alleged.
Congress and several other opposition parties earlier opposed the Centre's decision to transfer the management of Guwahati airport to the Adani group. Saikia said previously, in 2021, the state govt evicted 54 families for airport expansion. "Now, they plan to acquire approximately 410 bighas of land in Kamrup Metropolitan district's Ramcharani Mouza, including 70 bighas in Garal village, 257 bighas in Mirzapur village, and 83 bighas in Azara," he said.
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While eviction notices have been issued to about 1,116 families living near the airport, Saikia added that some of the families have land deeds for more than a century. "This acquisition of ancestral land demonstrates the govt's ruthlessness. Despite claiming to prioritise Assamese interests, the chief minister's actions reveal a bias towards capitalists. Additionally, local businesses, including homes, flats, and small enterprises, will be negatively impacted," Saikia cautioned.
He rued that the state govt is using the 'outdated' Assam Land (Requisition and Acquisition) Act, 1964, for this acquisition instead of The Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 (RFCTLARR Act). "RFCTLARR Act, 2013 ensures fair compensation and consent from affected families," he said.
While the affected villagers have formed a committee to protest the move, many local businesses fear significant losses from the aerocity project. "They said guest houses, hotels, and restaurants around the airport in Borjhar, Azara, Mirza, and Dharapur will struggle to compete with Adani's Aerocity, reducing their sales and demand," Saikia said.
He further added, "Environmentally, the aerocity could negatively impact the nearby Ramsar site, Deepor Beel, and surrounding agricultural and grazing lands."
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