“Where Is Our Compensation?”: Assam Villagers Turn to High Court for Justice

In a striking case of prolonged government inaction, as many as 30 families from Tokou beel near Burhi Dihing river in Dibrugarh's Naharkatia have knocked on the doors of the Gauhati High Court, seeking long-overdue compensation for land acquired by the state over three decades ago.

The dispute dates back to 1993, when the then Flood Control Department acquired approximately 26 bighas of land from the families for the construction of a river embankment. However, in the 32 years since the acquisition, the affected families allege that they have neither received compensation nor any official resolution despite repeated representations to the government.

Left in limbo for decades, the villagers finally approached the Gauhati High Court for redressal. Acting on their petition, the High Court has issued a show-cause notice to the Assam government, questioning the prolonged delay in compensating the landowners. The court has directed the government to file a response within four weeks.

Advocate Asomi Chamua, representing the petitioners, argued that the government’s failure to provide compensation amounts to a violation of the families’ constitutional and property rights. The court’s intervention, she said, marks a significant step toward securing long-denied justice.

The case highlights the chronic bureaucratic apathy that has left multiple rural families in Assam without legal closure for decades, raising serious concerns over accountability and land acquisition practices in the state.

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