Assam's Massive Drive To Clear Encroached Government Land

The Assam government has launched a massive eviction drive in Nagaon amid tight security to clear nearly 400 acres of encroached land.

The eviction drive is being carried out in four villages near Nagaon's Batadrava - the birthplace of Vaishnav saint Srimanta Sankardeva, officials said.

The eviction drive began early this morning with the deployment of over 600 security personnel and so far it has been peaceful, said Leena Doley, Superintendent of Police, Nagaon.

District administration officials said notices were sent to around 1,000 families in October for allegedly encroaching the government land, asking them to clear the land.

Last year, a similar eviction drive in Assam's Darrang had turned violent, resulting in the death of two people including a minor, while more than 20 people were injured

Earlier this month, an interim report was submitted to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma saying that more than 1,800 hectares of land belonging to 303 Vaishnav monasteries in Assam was under encroachment.

On September 12, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma told the Assam Assembly that a total of 4,449 families have been evicted across the state so far for alleged encroachment since the BJP-led government took charge for the second time in May last year.