The Railway Department in Assam’s Sarupathar carried out an eviction drive to free railway land from illegal encroachers.

According to reports, the Railways carried out the drive to dislodge business establishments that had trespassed into railway lands in Golaghat district’s Sarupathar.

During the drive over 100 such illegally established shops and businesses were evicted, as told by officials.

It may be noted that Assam Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Ashok Singhal had earlier said that an eviction drive will be conducted in the city in connection to the ‘Mission Flood-Free Guwahati’ initiative.

In December last year, Singhal had said, “Eviction drive will be conducted soon in Guwahati at locations where people have illegally encroached lands near rivers and streams.”

Meanwhile, the minister had gone on to blame the citizens of Guwahati for the artificial floods and water logging that disrupt normal life every time there is heavy downpour in the city.

Earlier on December 21, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had asserted that eviction drives to clear government and forest land in the state will carry on in the state.

Speaking in the assembly during a Zero Hour discussion initiated by Congress MLA Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha, Sarma said the BJP government will continue to carry out eviction exercises and “there is no point talking about it”.

“Eviction is a continuous process and it won’t stop. We will clear forest and government land (across the state) as well as in Batadrava,” he had said.

CM Sarma said Sattras (Vaishnavite monasteries), just like Batadrava, represent the identity and culture of the Assamese people.

“All people, whether Hindus or Muslims, will have to vacate Sattra land. We request all to leave the encroached land or else we will do eviction there,” he added.