Eviction Likely Any Moment on 533 Bighas of Grazing Land in Bongaigaon

Authorities are preparing to launch an eviction drive at any moment to clear 533 bighas of government-owned grazing (VGR) land at Jogighopa's Pachania under the Srijangram Revenue Circle in Bongaigaon district, which has been under illegal occupation for years.

The district administration had earlier set a final deadline for encroachers to vacate the land voluntarily, but with the grace period now over, officials are poised to move in. On Thursday, Srijangram Circle Officer Jayanta Chakraborty, accompanied by Jogighopa police, issued a 24-hour ultimatum to the remaining illegal settlers, directing them to dismantle their homes and leave.

The directive follows a week-long notice period granted on July 29, when Bongaigaon District Commissioner Nabadeep Pathak, Superintendent of Police, and senior administrative officials visited the Pachania grazing field and orally informed the occupants to vacate the land within seven days.

While several encroachers have already dismantled their houses and left, authorities say some have yet to comply. Alarmingly, there are reports of certain individuals—suspected to be from Barpeta and Dhubri districts—who, despite dismantling their homes, have resumed squatting on the same Brahmaputra riverbank land.

Local sources allege that these encroachers have been occupying the grazing ground for years, erecting makeshift houses and settling permanently, creating tension among indigenous residents of the nearby Pachania revenue village under Pachania-Khoragaon Gaon Panchayat.

The encroachment issue came under sharper administrative focus after Pratidin Time aired an exclusive investigative report detailing how suspected outsiders had been occupying the land for an extended period. Following the report, the district administration intensified preparations for eviction.

The 533 bighas of grazing land at Jogighopa are considered vital common property, traditionally used by local villagers for cattle grazing. The administration’s upcoming eviction drive, officials say, is aimed at restoring the land to its intended public use.

As the final deadline expires, tension runs high in the encroached area, with remaining settlers fearing imminent action. The district administration has made it clear that any failure to vacate within the stipulated time will lead to forceful eviction in the presence of police.

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