Assam government on Monday carried out an eviction drive under Bokajan sub-division along the Nagaland-Assam border in which over 100 families were evicted.
The eviction drive at Block-3, Dudu Colony in Lahorijan was jointly carried out by Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) along with Karbi Anglong district administration, police, forest department and Central force. Officials said that the eviction drive was carried out to clear illegal settlements that have encroached government land. In order to smoothly conduct the eviction drive, the district administration had also imposed Section 144 CrPC in the area.
Sources said many families residing in the locality had vacated the area upon receiving eviction notices.
A resident claimed that many of those living in the area possessed land pattas since 1910 and were paying annual revenue to the government.
The resident also said most families living there were tenants and after the notices were issued, had to vacate their houses.
Shops and business establishments within 700 metres radius of Dudu Colony remained closed during the eviction drive.
Meanwhile, speaking to reporters in the State Assembly premises in Guwahati Monday, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the eviction drive in Lahorijan would also help eliminate illegal drug trade as the area had become a drug trafficking hotspot. He hoped that Lumding Reserved Forest, where eviction drive was carried out recently and a section cleared from illegal encroachment, would be free from man-elephant conflict.
“We can now see wild elephants roaming around in spaces that were earlier occupied by people inside Lumding RF. Elephants have now found their habitat and hence are less likely to come in conflict with humans,” he added.