Railway Eviction Sparks Chaos in Lumding’s Harlungfar, Shiladitya Dev Steps In

Dev reportedly met with the Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) of the Lumding Division, Samir Lohani, on behalf of the aggrieved residents, seeking a resolution.

author-image
PratidinTime News Desk
New Update
Railway Eviction Sparks Chaos in Lumding’s Harlungfar, Shiladitya Dev Steps In

Railway Eviction Sparks Chaos in Lumding’s Harlungfar, Shiladitya Dev Steps In

Tension is running high in Lumding’s Harlungfar area after the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) served eviction notices to scores of shopkeepers and residents, citing unauthorized occupation of railway land. The move comes in the wake of a major railway infrastructure expansion plan aimed at laying a double line connecting Lumding to Upper Assam.

Advertisment

Several affected locals, alleging complete apathy from their elected representative—Lumding MLA Sibu Mishra—approached former Hojai MLA Shiladitya Dev for intervention. Dev reportedly met with the Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) of the Lumding Division, Samir Lohani, on behalf of the aggrieved residents, seeking a resolution.

According to local sources, panic erupted after a wave of formal eviction notices began arriving at Harlungfar shops and households. The notices, issued under the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorized Occupants) Act, 1971, call upon occupants to appear for personal hearings with supporting documents or face unilateral eviction orders.

One such notice, addressed to a resident named Debashish Bhattacharjee, states:

“You are in unauthorized occupation of Railway land… measuring 08.00 m x 27.85 m… adjacent to Harlungfar Colony Road… You are hereby called upon to show cause by July 4, 2025, and appear in person or through a representative on July 11, 2025, at the office of the DRM, Lumding.”

The notice warns that failure to comply will result in ex-parte proceedings.

Eyewitnesses say nearly a hundred such notices have been delivered, with many structures facing demolition. Most of the establishments in question are long-standing shops and semi-permanent homes situated near the banks of the river in Harlungfar Colony.

“We’ve been here for decades. Suddenly they call us illegal and ask us to vacate? Where will we go?” asked one shop owner, who received a notice this week.

In the absence of any communication from the sitting Lumding legislator, a section of affected residents reached out to BJP leader and former Hojai MLA Shiladitya Dev. Dev visited the locality and later held discussions with the Railway authorities on Saturday. While details of the meeting remain undisclosed, sources say Dev urged the DRM’s office to consider rehabilitation or an alternative solution for long-time occupants.

Meanwhile, civil society groups and local political observers have criticized what they describe as the government's “bulldozer model of development” that sidelines poor and small traders in the name of infrastructure expansion.

The NFR has not yet issued an official statement on whether rehabilitation or compensation will be provided to the displaced families.

With fear, uncertainty, and allegations of government indifference gripping Lumding’s Harlungfar area, the standoff underscores a growing pattern in Assam’s hinterlands—where eviction, land rights, and development continue to collide.

Also Read: 20,000+ Cubic Meters of Debris Being Cleared as NFR Battles Terrain to Restore Hill Route

Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) Shiladitya Dev