Assam govt clears 330 acres amid tight security

Tezpur, September 3

A massive eviction drive to clear 330 acres of government land in Assam’s Sonitpur district was carried out by the authorities amid heavy security on Saturday, a top official said.

The exercise was completed peacefully, the official said.

All structures were demolished with excavators and other heavy machinery, while jute crops of the encroachers were spared, for the time being, he said.

A madrassa in the area was also demolished, though two mosques were not destroyed as the people pleaded for time and assured the authorities that they themselves would dismantle the mosques soon.

More than 30 excavators, heavy machinery, and a large number of workers were deployed for the drive that commenced around 6 am to demolish houses in No 3 Chitalmari area in Barchalla on the northern bank of the Brahmaputra river.

Sonitpur Deputy Commissioner Deba Prasad Mishra, who oversaw the process, said: “The eviction drive was completed peacefully. The people had mostly vacated their premises with their belongings over the last few days. Only the permanent structures were there, which we have demolished.”

Mishra said the encroachers, who were mostly engaged in agriculture, had requested the authorities to permit them to harvest their jute crops.

A 100 MW solar power plant is planned to be set up in the cleared area, which will be able to meet the entire energy demand of the district, the official said.

About 1,200 security personnel, including those of the Assam Police and paramilitary forces, were deployed at the site, equipped with anti-riot gear.