Over 800 security personnel have been deployed at Batadraba at Nagaon district of central Assam after the district administration started a massive eviction drive in the area on Monday morning.

The district administration is conducting the drive at Bhumuraguri Grazing reserve, Jamai Basti, Rampur, and Kadamoni areas where encroachers have occupied more than 980 bighas of land.

The district administration is using several excavators in the eviction drive.

Earlier on December 2, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma received an interim report of the Commission for Review & Assessment of Problems of Satra Land at a ceremony held at the Chief Minister's Secretariat at Janata Bhawan in Guwahati.

The 3-member commission, with Amguri MLA Pradeep Hazarika as Chairman and MLAs Rupak Sarma and Mrinal Saikia as members, was formed last year as per a resolution of the Assam Cabinet.

Addressing the ceremony, the Assam Chief Minister congratulated the 3-member commission for meticulously carrying out the job entrusted upon them, despite the numerous challenges that came their way.

The CM had said that the interim report has mentioned that an aggregate of 7,504 bighas (1,898 hectares) of land is under encroachment across 303 Satras (Vaishnavite monasteries) located in various parts of the State.

As per the report, Barpeta district accounts for the largest Satra land under encroachment, followed by Lakhimpur and Nagaon districts, the Chief Minister stated. He added that Satras in Bongaigaon and Dhubri districts are also highly encroached.

In his comments, the Chief Minister said that the commission was the first of its kind in resolving the issue of encroachment of Satra land.

The interim report shall now be administratively reviewed and follow-up action, in accordance with the law of the land, will be taken the CM had said.

(With inputs from ANI)