Assam: Tense Standoff in Jogighopa Over Agricultural Science Centre Project

A tense situation erupted today at Kherkhabari in Jogighopa under the Jogighopa police station of Assam, when a group of women resisted the establishment of an Agricultural Science Centre on encroached land.

The state government had decided to set up the centre under Assam Agricultural University on 75 bighas of land out of nearly 185 bighas in Kherkhabari’s second block, Srijan Gram revenue circle. The land was officially allocated for the project in 2014.

However, according to local residents, around 20–25 families from northern Kherkhabari had been illegally occupying and farming the land for many years. With recent government funding, construction of the centre had commenced, prompting resistance from the encroaching families.

In response, a large team of senior district officials, Jogighopa police, Bongaigaon District Commissioner Nabadeep Pathak, and agriculture department officials arrived at the site. Around 40–50 women from the encroaching families confronted the authorities, initially engaging in verbal arguments and later adopting an aggressive stance.

District Commissioner Pathak told Pratidin Time that while most farmers and locals have supported the establishment of the centre for regional development, a few families who had been cultivating the land have obstructed construction. He added that discussions with the families would be held shortly, and further steps would be taken to resolve the situation.

Also Read: Nagaland’s Objection to Assam Project Rekindles Border Tensions in Merapani