Silsako Targeted Again as Guwahati Steps Up Anti-Flood Evictions

As part of ongoing efforts to prevent artificial flooding in the city, the Guwahati administration has launched an eviction drive targeting unauthorised constructions. The latest operation focused on the Institute of Cooperative Management located in Silsako. The demolition was carried out in the presence of Housing and Urban Development Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah.

The institute is set to be temporarily relocated to Rehabari. The government has allocated land at Sonapur for its permanent relocation and approved a compensation package of ₹10 crore to support the transition.

This eviction follows a similar drive conducted against the Omeo Kumar Das Institute of Social Change and Development. The administration has reiterated its commitment to making Guwahati flood-free through such measures. Further eviction operations are planned at the Ginger Hotel and the Institute of Hotel Management as part of the initiative.

Addressing concerns over local infrastructure development, Minister Mallabaruah responded to criticism regarding a road constructed to his residence in Bondajan Puti. He stated, “Whether the road is constructed or not will be decided by the local community. The road benefits the local residents, and if they wish, it can be removed.”

Congress Alleges Encroachment on Wetland by Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah

Earlier, on May 23, 2025, the Assam Pradesh Congress accused BJP Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah of encroaching upon Bondajan, one of Guwahati’s vital wetlands, by constructing a 254-meter road leading to his residence. The road, reportedly named after his late father Kailash Mallabaruah, was built using Rs 2.99 crore allocated from the 15th Finance Commission funds for 2021-22.

Visiting the site, Assam Pradesh Mahila Congress President Mira Borthakur condemned the construction, saying, “While the government claims to fight encroachments, a sitting minister has encroached on a wetland using taxpayers’ money in the name of his father.”

Borthakur further criticized the selective enforcement of eviction drives, adding, “Local residents in Silsako lost their homes built from their hard-earned money overnight to bulldozers, yet when a minister builds a road through a water body, the state remains silent. Where is the Chief Minister’s sense of justice now?”

Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah Criticizes Congress Leadership Ahead of 2026 Assam Elections

In a sharp political statement, Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah accused the Congress party of harboring sympathies for Pakistan in its new leadership. He said, “From today, Congress begins its decline by appointing a Pakistan sympathizer as president. Only those who support Pakistan will remain in Congress. The party’s leader has three family members with foreign citizenship, and he himself is a Pakistan sympathizer. Only Pakistan supporters will vote for him in the 2026 elections.”

Also Read: Are Evictions at Silsako the Key to Ending Urban Floods?