The city administration in Assam’s Golaghat on Friday carried out an eviction drive to clear out illegal encroachment.
According to reports, the eviction drive was carried out at Number 2, Kumarpatty in the Golaghat district of Assam.
As many as 12 families who had illegally encroached government lands along the banks of the Dhansiri river in the district were evicted during the drive.
The eviction drive was carried out in presence of police and CRPF officials.
It may be noted that earlier this week, the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) carried out an eviction drive in Beltola.
According to sources, the eviction drive was carried out against street vendors at Bhetapara. The eviction drive was conducted in order to fulfill their plan to clean the footpaths and streets from street vendors by February end of this year.
At the end of 2022, the GMC conducted an eviction drive against illegally established shops in Ulubari area. The eviction drive was carried out under the Ulubari flyover near the Prag Tower building.
Officials at the site informed that the several mobile eateries that had been set up under the flyover, were illegal. Several such roadside stalls were evicted during the drive.
The GMC is conducting eviction drives daily to remove illegally set up stalls to make the areas taken up by them available to the public, added officials.
Meanwhile, reports also stated that allegations have emerged against the GMC of illicit tax collection and harassment of businesses.
Earlier in December, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma asserted that eviction drives to clear government and forest land in the state will continue.
Speaking in the assembly during a Zero Hour discussion initiated by Congress MLA Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha, Sarma said the BJP government will continue to carry out eviction exercises and “there is no point talking about it”.
“Eviction is a continuous process and it won’t stop. We will clear forest and government land (across the state) as well as in Batadrava,” he said.
Sarma said Sattras (Vaishnavite monasteries), just like Batadrava, represent the identity and culture of the Assamese people.
“All people, whether Hindus or Muslims, will have to vacate Sattra land. We request all to leave the encroached land or else we will do eviction there,” he added.
When Congress MLA Rakibul Hussain appealed to the government to look after the basic needs such as drinking water and food of the evicted people in Batadrava, the chief minister said, “There’s no policy to give water to evicted people. They broke the law by occupying land, so we can’t hold camps for them. It’s the job of the NGOs.”
