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Hans India
7 days ago
- Politics
- Hans India
Gauhati HC directs those facing eviction from Golaghat forests to submit land rights proof
Guwahati: The Gauhati High Court has directed those facing eviction from Doyang and South Nambar forests in Assam's Golaghat district to submit within 10 days proof of land rights or vacate the land. Chief Justice Ashutosh Kumar, hearing the petition of 74 people claiming they have been in possession of the land since the time of their forefathers, also directed the state advocate general to submit an affidavit by a forest officer stating that the appellants have been residing in the reserved forest area without any entitlement and are liable to be evicted forthwith. The petitioners challenged the issuance of notices by the district authority asking them to vacate their land within seven days, alleging that such action of the respondents is in contravention of certain provisions of the Assam Land and Revenue Regulation, 1886 and the Assam Land Policy, 2019 as also the guidelines of the Supreme Court's order of December 13, 2024. A group of 59 people and another group of about 15 people had filed two separate petitions and both the appeals were taken up together for hearing since the issues involved in these appeals are identical and related to the eviction of encroachers from reserved forest areas. The claim of the petitioners was that they have been in possession of the land in question since the time of their forefathers and such notices have been served upon them without any specific demarcation as to whether the land in question, said to be in illegal occupation of the appellants/writ petitioners, is a revenue or forest land. The contention of the appellants in these appeals is that no procedure has been followed for their eviction from their houses, which had been allocated to them under some scheme of the government in the past. The court observed that no documentary evidence had been submitted to support these claims. The state advocate general, however, contested the petitioners' submission and stated that the appellants are encroachers in the reserve forests, namely, Doyang and South Nambar reserve forests. He submitted that after the notification converting the forests to reserved forests and its proclamation by the officer concerned, any non-forest activity in reserved forests would be a criminal offence for which a penalty has been provided under the Assam Forest Regulation, 1891. He further submitted that approximately 29 lakh bighas (around 9.5 lakh acres) of land in the reserved forests in the entire state have been occupied by encroachers and with the drive undertaken by the government for removing such encroachers, more than one lakh bighas (around 33,000 acres) of land has been cleared of encroachment. The advocate general contended that none of the appellants are flood-affected or landless, or forest dwellers, but are squatters and encroachers who, by their continuous illegal activities, have been damaging the natural habitat of wildlife. The Doyang and Nambar reserve forests had been notified about 100 years ago and never in the past, the appellants had made any claim for settlement, or for their right for 'jhum' or shifting cultivation, or else it would have been decided by the forest authorities, he said. He also submitted that the forest area in question has been demarcated and only such persons, who are found to be residing in such demarcated areas, have been issued notices. The chief justice observed that, barring a statement by the petitioners that they have been residing in the houses constructed over the years, which do not fall in the reserved forest area, no documentary proof for such a statement has been given. "However, in order to satisfy ourselves that the appellants are not forcefully and illegally evicted from their place of residence, we permit them to bring on record any document to establish the claim of their having been allocated land in the reserved forest area for the construction of houses," the chief justice observed. The court extended the time given to them to clear the forest area or submit documentary evidence of their land rights by another 10 days, to be counted from August 5, the day the order was passed, and till then no coercive steps shall be taken against the appellants. The court fixed the next date of hearing on August 14. The state government has carried out seven eviction drives since June this year, affecting more than 50,000 people and Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had earlier said that all unauthorised occupation of forest land, VGR (Village Grazing Reserve), PGR (Professional Grazing Reserve), Satras, Namghars, and other public areas would be cleared in a phased manner. Most of the people displaced due to the eviction drive are Bengali-speaking Muslim communities who claim that their ancestors had moved and settled in the areas where drives were carried out after their land in the 'Char' or riverine areas got washed away due to erosion by the Brahmaputra.
Hindustan Times
07-08-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Gauhati HC directs those facing eviction from Golaghat forests to submit land rights proof
Guwahati, The Gauhati High Court has directed those facing eviction from Doyang and South Nambar forests in Assam's Golaghat district to submit within 10 days proof of land rights or vacate the land. Gauhati HC directs those facing eviction from Golaghat forests to submit land rights proof Chief Justice Ashutosh Kumar, hearing the petition of 74 people claiming they have been in possession of the land since the time of their forefathers, also directed the state advocate general to submit an affidavit by a forest officer stating that the appellants have been residing in the reserved forest area without any entitlement and are liable to be evicted forthwith. The petitioners challenged the issuance of notices by the district authority asking them to vacate their land within seven days, alleging that such action of the respondents is in contravention of certain provisions of the Assam Land and Revenue Regulation, 1886 and the Assam Land Policy, 2019 as also the guidelines of the Supreme Court's order of December 13, 2024. A group of 59 people and another group of about 15 people had filed two separate petitions and both the appeals were taken up together for hearing since the issues involved in these appeals are identical and related to the eviction of encroachers from reserved forest areas. The claim of the petitioners was that they have been in possession of the land in question since the time of their forefathers and such notices have been served upon them without any specific demarcation as to whether the land in question, said to be in illegal occupation of the appellants/writ petitioners, is a revenue or forest land. The contention of the appellants in these appeals is that no procedure has been followed for their eviction from their houses, which had been allocated to them under some scheme of the government in the past. The court observed that no documentary evidence had been submitted to support these claims. The state advocate general, however, contested the petitioners' submission and stated that the appellants are encroachers in the reserve forests, namely, Doyang and South Nambar reserve forests. He submitted that after the notification converting the forests to reserved forests and its proclamation by the officer concerned, any non-forest activity in reserved forests would be a criminal offence for which a penalty has been provided under the Assam Forest Regulation, 1891. He further submitted that approximately 29 lakh bighas of land in the reserved forests in the entire state have been occupied by encroachers and with the drive undertaken by the government for removing such encroachers, more than one lakh bighas of land has been cleared of encroachment. The advocate general contended that none of the appellants are flood-affected or landless, or forest dwellers, but are squatters and encroachers who, by their continuous illegal activities, have been damaging the natural habitat of wildlife. The Doyang and Nambar reserve forests had been notified about 100 years ago and never in the past, the appellants had made any claim for settlement, or for their right for 'jhum' or shifting cultivation, or else it would have been decided by the forest authorities, he said. He also submitted that the forest area in question has been demarcated and only such persons, who are found to be residing in such demarcated areas, have been issued notices. The chief justice observed that, barring a statement by the petitioners that they have been residing in the houses constructed over the years, which do not fall in the reserved forest area, no documentary proof for such a statement has been given. "However, in order to satisfy ourselves that the appellants are not forcefully and illegally evicted from their place of residence, we permit them to bring on record any document to establish the claim of their having been allocated land in the reserved forest area for the construction of houses," the chief justice observed. The court extended the time given to them to clear the forest area or submit documentary evidence of their land rights by another 10 days, to be counted from August 5, the day the order was passed, and till then no coercive steps shall be taken against the appellants. The court fixed the next date of hearing on August 14. The state government has carried out seven eviction drives since June this year, affecting more than 50,000 people and Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had earlier said that all unauthorised occupation of forest land, VGR , PGR , Satras, Namghars, and other public areas would be cleared in a phased manner. Most of the people displaced due to the eviction drive are Bengali-speaking Muslim communities who claim that their ancestors had moved and settled in the areas where drives were carried out after their land in the 'Char' or riverine areas got washed away due to erosion by the Brahmaputra. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
The Hindu
31-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
CBI to handle case related to Assam engineer's death
GUWAHATI The Assam Cabinet, headed by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, on Thursday (July 31, 2025), approved the transfer of a case of 'suspected suicide' of an Assistant Engineer in the State's Public Works Department (PWD) to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Joshita Das, 29, was found dead in her apartment in western Assam's Bongaigaon town on July 22. She wrote in a purported note that she was under 'extreme stress' and lacked guidance in the workplace, while her parents alleged she was being pressured to clear inflated bills. 'A seven-member Special Investigation Team was formed to investigate the case. The site was videographed and examined by the Regional Forensic Science Laboratory and a crime scene officer... Three accused were arrested, and a notice under Section 94 of the BNSS [Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita] was issued. The case warrants a thorough investigation due to public concern and possible interstate links,' a statement issued after the Cabinet meeting read. Among the arrested are the Sub-Divisional Officer and the PWD Executive Engineer, who were named in the note the deceased Assistant Engineer left behind. The district police said a First Information Report was registered against them for abetment of suicide based on a complaint by her family. She alleged that the estimate of the contractor working on a mini-stadium she was assigned had 'major discrepancies and variations', but the two officials she named made her continue on the project on her own. Other Cabinet approvals The Cabinet also approved the settlement of land in favour of 1,742 indigenous landless families by reducing the peripheral area of northeastern Assam's Dhemaji town from five kilometres to one kilometre. Rural area land rates would apply in the stretch after this reduction, officials said. The Cabinet further approved the inclusion of Adivasi, Ahom, Chutia, Gorkha, Matak and Moran communities occupying the Tirap Tribal Belt in eastern Assam before 2011 in the list of protected classes of people. The inclusion will enable land settlement for more than 20,000 individuals from these communities in the belt. None of these communities is a Scheduled Tribe, but their inclusion as protected classes in the tribal belt was approved by exercising power conferred by Sub-section (2) of Section 160 of the Assam Land and Revenue Regulation, 1886. Those who require assistance for overcoming suicidal thoughts may contact Fortis Mental Health 24X7 helpline 8376804102. (Those in distress or having suicidal thoughts are encouraged to seek help and counselling by calling the helpline numbers here)
The Wire
08-07-2025
- Politics
- The Wire
Over 2,000 Miya Muslim Families Uprooted by Assam Govt's Proposed Thermal Plant in Dhubri
Government Kazi Sharowar Hussain a minute ago A 41-year-old resident of Chirakuta village claimed that Jeet Adani, the director of the Adani Group, must be associated with the thermal power project as he had visited the site on April 22. With nowhere else to go, many evicted families have decided to temporarily settle near relatives in the char areas of the Brahmaputra. Residents transport their dismantled homes on boats. Photo: Kazi Sharowar Hussain. Barpeta, Assam: On July 8, the Dhubri district administration started a demolition drive tearing down over 2,000 Miya Muslim households at the site of the Assam government's proposed 3,400-MW thermal power plant in Bilashipara, in Dhubri district. A public announcement was made on July 4. The very next day, on July 5, officials from the Chapar Circle Office put up eviction notices in different palaces of villages including Charuabakhra Jangal Block, Chirakuta Part-1, Part-2 and Santoshpur, forcing the families to evacuate their homes. Spanning over 5,000 bigha of land across four villages, locals allege that the eviction drive will displace as many as 10,000 landless Miya Muslims. A massive eviction drive underway at the proposed site of a 3,400-MW thermal power plant in the Bilashipara area of Dhubri district. Photo: Special arrangement The thermal power project was initially planned in a tribal-dominated area in Kokrajhar District. After strong protest by locals, it was shifted to the Bilapshipara area of Dhubri District – an area predominantly inhabited by the Miya community. Standing on the premise of her dismantled home, Ajiran Nessa, 52, a resident of Chirakuta village, says, 'Suddenly, we are told to pack and move with nothing but 50,000 rupees. Where will we go?' 'How can we live in the middle of the river where the government wants to settle us?' she asks. The notice was issued under the Assam Land and Revenue Regulation, 1886. It mentioned that Rs 50,000 will be offered to each landless family, and promised resettlement in Boyjer Alga village under the Athani Revenue Circle in Dhubri. An official evacuation notice, issued under the Assam Land and Revenue Regulation, 1886, is seen in Charuabakhra village. The notice instructed residents to vacate the land by 6 July, 2025 and promised Rs 50,000 compensation for landless families. Photo: Kazi Sharowar Hussain The eviction process was further accelerated after Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma visited the proposed thermal plant site on June 24. Abdur Rashid Seikh, 41, a resident of Chirakuta village claimed that Jeet Adani, the director of the Adani Group, must be associated with the thermal power project as he visited the site on April 22. While families who hold Miyadi patta land are still staying in the area, most residents of the four villages – those residing on 'government land' – had to vacate their homes following the eviction notice. The resettlement site, Boyjer Alga, is a low-lying Char area prone to flooding and erosion. Residents of the evicted site claimed that the resettlement area lacks basic infrastructure like drinking water, roads, healthcare and schools. 'It's like they're throwing us away,' says 70-year-old Kashem Ali, who has lived in Charuabakhra village for more than 50 years. The resettlement area at Boyjer Alga Part-II, which is a low-lying Char village that lacks basic facilities. Photo source: Google map Families in Santoshpur Jangal Block hurriedly load their belongings onto a tractor trolley after being given just two days to evacuate. Photo: Kazi Sharowar Hussain Ajahar Ali, now in his 60s, settled in Santoshpur after the Brahmaputra floods washed away his home in 1981. He is now facing displacement again. 'This is not about development,' he says, 'This is a way of harassing Miya Muslims by the Himanta government.' Ajahar Ali, a resident of Santoshpur, has been displaced for the second time in his life – first by the Brahmaputra in 1981 and now by an eviction drive. Photo: Kazi Sharowar Hussain 'Police opened fire' An estimate said that over 3,000 police personnel have been deployed in the area amid the eviction drive and over 100 bulldozers are being used to demolish the houses. Residents have said that the administration has been using threats and intimidation to pressure families into evacuating quickly. As people staged a protest against the eviction drive, they were met with police action. At least three women were injured in a confrontation with the police in Charuabakhra village. Locals identified them as Masiya Khatun, 40, and Rumiya Khatun, 45 and Hafiza Khatun, 30 of Charuabakhra village. A resident says, 'I ran away from the place when police opened fire.' Police patrol in Charuabakhra village during the evacuation at the proposed thermal power plant site in Dhubri, Assam, on July 5. Photo: Kazi Sharowar Hussain Sofiur Rahman, a 34-year-old resident of Charuabakhra, says that 357 landless families, 129 with Miyadi patta and 83 allotted landholders have approached the high court. He adds that many landless families have already left the area under pressure and threats from the administration, even while their cases are still pending. 'The administration is continuously pressuring residents to accept the 50,000 rupees cheque and leave the area,' says Rahman. The hearing of the case is scheduled for July 22, as per a human rights lawyer in Guwahati, who wished to remain anonymous. Amid the deployment of police personnel, residents vacate their homes in Shantoshpur village as part of the eviction drive in Dhubri, Assam, on July 5. Photo: Kazi Sharowar Hussain 'BJP government is torturing people' Many human rights activists and political leaders have condemned the eviction as a brutal and targeted action by the BJP-led government. Residents in Charuabakhra village dismantle their homes after being served eviction notices in Dhubri, Assam, on July 5. Photo: Kazi Sharowar Hussain On Tuesday (July 8) morning, Raijor Dal leader and MLA Akhil Gogoi travelled to the eviction site. He was seen interacting with the evicted people in Charuabakhra. However, the police detained him and took him to the Chapar police station. He was dropped in Goalpara district by police vehicle after a few hours. Addressing the media later, he alleged, 'Only because they are Muslims, the communal BJP government is torturing the people. It is a political strategy for them.' Residents of Chirakuta village carry dismantled roofs of their houses in Dhubri, Assam, on July 5. Photo: Kazi Sharowar Hussain CPI(M) leader Suprakash Talukder accused the government of promoting a pro-corporate agenda while specifically targeting Muslim minorities. 'This eviction drive is part of a larger plan to transfer land and public resources to corporate interests,' Talukder said. 'The BJP is framing this as a patriotic act to 'save Assam from the Miyas,' while using communal rhetoric to deepen social divisions for political gain.' Residents of Chirakuta village carrying their belongings as they vacate their homes following the eviction notices in Dhubri, Assam, on July 5. Photo: Kazi Sharowar Hussain Sofiur Rahman says, 'Forced eviction is a complete violation of human rights.' 'We have lived here for generations. How can we suddenly be asked to leave without proper rehabilitation? Where are we supposed to go?' he asks. The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.
Time of India
03-07-2025
- General
- Time of India
228 bighas of encroached land cleared in Lakhimpur
1 2 Dibrugarh: In one of the largest anti-encroachment drives in recent years, the Lakhimpur district administration on Thursday demolished 218 illegal homes and cleared 288 bighas of encroached land across three Village Grazing Reserves (VGRs). The eviction drive, which was conducted under the supervision of district commissioner (DC) Pronab Jit Kakoty and senior superintendent of police (SSP) Gunendra Deka, saw a massive deployment of police and paramilitary forces, along with 12 excavators, at Phukanarhat, Debera Doloni and Christian VGR areas. "The drive was conducted peacefully and no untoward incidents were reported. We had adequate security arrangements to prevent any law and order situation," Deka said. While the eviction drive was carried out under the Assam Land and Revenue Regulation, 1886, the encroachers were served notices weeks in advance, with June 29 being the last date to vacate the VGR land. "The occupants failed to produce any legal documents. We granted had them an additional three-day grace period to vacate the land and remove their belongings. They took away all their belongings and today (Thursday) we demolished all their illegal structures," Kakoty said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Забрави климатика – това е най-доброто решение срещу жегата Coolbox Научете повече Undo The drive aligns with a Supreme Court directive, mandating that all Village Grazing Reserves (VGR) and Professional Grazing Reserves (PGR) should be encroachment-free. These reserves play a crucial role in supporting rural livelihoods, providing grazing areas for livestock owned by villagers, along with access to resources like firewood and fodder. "Our goal is to restore these grazing reserves for their intended purposes and support local livestock, while preventing environmental degradation. We will also ensure that no further illegal occupation occurs. We intend to carry out plantation in the cleared land. Boundary posts will be erected to secure the area," the DC added. VGRs play a crucial role in rural economies, particularly for farmers and cattle-rearers. However, unchecked encroachment over the years has led to legal disputes and ecological concerns.
