10 lakh acres in Assam encroached by 'illegal Bangladeshis': CM Himanta Biswa Sarma; says government pledged to clear every inch
NEW DELHI:
Assam
chief minister
Himanta Biswa Sarma
on Monday claimed that nearly 10 lakh acres of land in the state remain under the encroachment of what he called "illegal Bangladeshis and doubtful citizens."
Speaking at an event marking four years of the Gorukhuti Multipurpose Agriculture Project, Sarma said his government had faced "international pressure" to halt eviction operations, especially after the controversial drive in Darrang district in 2021, but remained undeterred.
"The successful eviction drive here emboldened us," he said, referring to the Gorukhuti operation where over 25,000 acres were cleared of alleged encroachers.
"We conducted such anti-encroachments drives in different parts of the state, clearing 1.29 lakh bighas (nearly 43,000 acres) in four years."
The Gorukhuti drive, carried out shortly after Sarma took office, led to the deaths of two people, including a 12-year-old boy, in police firing.
Sarma defended the action, saying the land has since been used for reforestation and agriculture. "We have taken the pledge to clear every inch of land from encroachers, suspected Bangladeshis," he said. "29 lakh bighas (10 lakh acres) are still encroached by illegal Bangladeshis and doubtful citizens," Sarma added.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
CM: There will be no 2nd-class citizens if BJP wins BTC polls
1 2 3 4 Guwahati: There will be no 'second-class citizens' if BJP forms the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC), CM Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Sunday. As he continued the marathon campaign in BTC areas in lower Assam ahead of the upcoming council polls that are likely to be held in Sept, Sarma focused on BJP's own promises rather than criticising Hagrama Mohilary's Bodoland Peoples Front (BPF) and Pramod Boro-led United People's Party Liberal (UPPL) — two other strong contenders in BTC. While the land rights issue has been of paramount importance in the state amid the recent eviction drives, Sarma, while addressing a rally in Baksa district's Dihira, said every needy family must benefit from the beneficiary schemes of the Centre and state govt, besides having land rights. "Journalists ask me: who is a first-class citizen and who is a second-class citizen? My answer is: those who have land deeds are first class citizens, but those who do not are second class citizens. Those who have houses are first-class citizens, but those who do not are second-class citizens," Sarma said. He added that the differences between first class and second class citizens is also marked by people receiving benefits of the Orunodoi scheme (monthly financial assistance for needy women) or having access to pucca roads. "If BJP forms govt in BTC, there will be no second-class citizens here. All will be first-class citizens," he said. Sarma said BTC is for all, including indigenous tribal communities. Everyone will enjoy equal rights and will start thinking of the Bodoland Territorial Region as their own. "We are not against UPPL or BPF, but we will make BJP victorious this time to resolve the people's issues," said Sarma at a time when the chorus is growing for the unification of UPPL and BPF, which were arch-rivals in BTC. Though BJP has not finalised in how many of the total 40 council constituencies it will contest, Sarma earlier said that towards the end of August, BJP will finalise the number of seats in which the saffron party will contest the BTC polls, an important election before the 2026 assembly polls. While asserting that BTC is his top priority, he said that he has visited this once violence-affected region more than 200 times after becoming CM in 2001. Sarma said that the illegal arms in BTR have been returned to the govt. "Time has changed in BTR. No one can dictate voting with guns now, but they have to seek votes with folded hands," Sarma said. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
NDTV
an hour ago
- NDTV
Assam Opposition Targets Himanta Sarma Over Voter Revision, Eviction Drives
Guwahati: Leaders of the All Indian United Democratic Front (AIUDF), a key opposition party in Assam which enjoys support among the Bengali-speaking Muslim population, accused Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma of failing to maintain law and order in the state. The party's MLAs Hafiz Rafiqul Islam and Ashraful Hussain, addressed a press conference on Sunday on issues including eviction drives, allegations of harassment, and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists. Demanding the Chief Minister's resignation, Mr Islam accused him of "instigating goons" to harass bonafide Indian citizens, including labourers and lawyers, in different districts. He said, "The Constitution grants Indians the right to work anywhere in the country. But in Assam, people are unsafe even when moving between districts." On eviction drives, Mr Islam claimed they were being carried out without rehabilitation plans. Further, he added that these drives targeted Muslims under the guise of identifying "foreigners." He alleged that displaced families have lost access to housing, education and basic rights, and urged the judiciary to intervene. Regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list, Mr Islam said it was unnecessary as Assam had already undergone extensive National Register of Citizens verification between 2015 and 2019. He alleged that the exercise was politically motivated and aimed at harassment. "The Election Commission should not act as a puppet of the BJP," he said, demanding that the SIR be scrapped and the voter list be revised only through regular procedures.
Hindustan Times
5 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Arms licences to indigenous people will only be given after proper evaluation: Himanta
Guwahati, Amid criticism over the Assam government's decision to provide arms licence to indigenous people, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday said it will only be given after "proper evaluation". Arms licences to indigenous people will only be given after proper evaluation: Himanta Speaking to reporters, Sarma said land rights also needed to be ensured for the indigenous people, along with arms licences. "Guns are required. If you don't have a gun, how will you stay in South Salmara-Mankachar and Bagbar? If you go there, you will understand," he said on the sidelines of a programme in Baksa, when asked about the criticism over the "lenient" arms licence policy. "There are 20,000-25,000 people surrounding it, and 100 people are staying in a 'Satra' amid them. They will need something," he claimed. Sarma maintained that gun licences will be provided only after due evaluation and verification. "Guns are needed, land is needed, rights are needed. But everything has to be within the purview of the law, not outside it," he added. The state cabinet had on May 28 decided that the government would give arms licences to indigenous people living in "vulnerable and remote" areas for instilling a sense of security in them. Sarma had identified Dhubri, Morigaon, Barpeta, Nagaon and South Salmara-Mankachar districts, and localities like Rupahi, Dhing and Jonia as "vulnerable and remote". All these areas are largely dominated by Bengali-speaking Muslims. The opposition claims that the decision is aimed at polarising the people, and has the potential to jeopardise the state's hard-won peace. Asked about possible eviction drives in Bodoland Territorial Region , where Baksa is located, Sarma said there is no proposal at the moment as indigenous people of the area are yet to get their land ownership documents. "Eviction drives were started in the rest of the state only after land rights were settled under 'Mission Basundhara'. In BTR, first indigenous and rightful residents have to get the 'patta'. After that, we can go for eviction,' he said. Claiming that the situation was as "grave in BTR as in the rest of Assam", Sarma said, 'Every time I am here, I see that the vote of a certain community is increasing. And if it continues to happen, the Bodos and other people of BTR who have sacrificed for this land will not have the political power in their hands." Dismissing criticism against the eviction drives, he said, "Miya Muslims have gone to upper Assam, north Assam, to change the demography of the state. We will have to take legal steps against them, evict them as per the law. I am not bothered who says what about it." 'Miya' is originally a pejorative term used for Bengali-speaking Muslims in Assam, and the non-Bengali speaking people generally identify them as Bangladeshi immigrants. In recent years, activists from the community have started adopting this term as a gesture of defiance. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
