Akhil Gogoi Meets Assam Chief Secretary, Seeks Land & Relief for Evictees

In the wake of widespread eviction drives across various districts of Assam, a delegation led by Sivasagar MLA and Raijor Dal president Akhil Gogoi on Wednesday met Chief Secretary Ravi Kota, demanding land, rehabilitation, and compensation for affected families from Lakhimpur, Dhubri, and Goalpara.

The meeting follows an earlier discussion with Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. "In connection with the eviction drives in Lakhimpur, Dhubri, and Goalpara, we had met the Chief Minister of Assam a few days ago. The Chief Minister subsequently forwarded the entire matter to the Chief Secretary. Today, we submitted the memorandum that the Chief Minister had written to the Chief Secretary and held a detailed meeting accordingly," Gogoi said following the interaction.

Gogoi, accompanied by representatives of Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) and evicted families from the three districts, raised several key demands. “Representatives of Raijor Dal, KMSS, and affected families from all three districts, Lakhimpur, Dhubri, and Goalpara were part of the delegation. We categorically conveyed to the Chief Secretary that in Lakhimpur, indigenous people who lost land during the eviction must be allotted equivalent land elsewhere. The same principle must apply to evicted families belonging to Christian, Muslim, and Adivasi communities. We also demanded that the government provide a one-time rehabilitation grant to all displaced families so that they can at least rebuild their homes,” he said.

Regarding Goalpara, Gogoi highlighted the firing incident in Paikan and the large-scale eviction in Hasila Beel. “In Goalpara, we raised two specific concerns: the death of a civilian in police firing in Paikan, and the eviction in the Hasila Beel area. We demanded an end to the ongoing police harassment and urged the administration to resettle evicted families at the Rakshashani Hills, as the government had earlier promised. The Chief Secretary responded positively to this,” he added.

On the situation in Dhubri district, particularly in the Chapar area, Gogoi said three categories of people were evicted, those with myadi pattas (land with permanent titles), families with official land allotments, and others categorized as encroachers. Akhil Gogoi said, “In Dhubri’s Chapar area, three categories of landholders were affected by the eviction: those with myadi pattas, those with government allotments, and others considered encroachers. We demanded that people with myadi pattas be rehabilitated as per the provisions of the Land Protection Act, and that families with land allotments also receive proper rehabilitation. For the remaining evictees, including informal settlers and allottees, we requested that at least 500 bighas of land be allocated for resettlement."

Gogoi expressed cautious optimism following the meeting. “We are hopeful that the Chief Secretary will now consult with the Chief Minister and respond to our demands positively in the days to come,” he concluded.

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