10 lakh acres of land encroached by doubtful citizens, Bangladeshis in Assam, claims CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on July 21 alleged that over 10 lakh acres of land were encroached by "illegal Bangladeshis and doubtful citizens".

The chief minister further said that his government was under “international pressure” to halt eviction drives after the operation at Gorukhuti in Darrang district soon after assuming power in 2021, but people were not dissuaded.

Sarma made the remarks at a function to mark the completion of four years of setting up of the Gorukhuti Mulitpurpose Agriculture Project, which was established after a massive eviction drive.

The eviction drive was carried out in 2021 to clear 77,420 bighas (25,500 acres) of land from alleged encroachers, belonging mostly to Bengali-speaking Muslims, in which two persons, including a 12-year-old boy, were killed in police firing.

“The successful eviction drive here emboldened us and we conducted such anti-encroachments drives in different parts of the state, clearing 1.29 lakh bighas (nearly 43,000 acres) in four years. The land has been reclaimed for forestation,” Sarma said during the event.

“We have taken the pledge to clear every inch of land from encroachers, suspected Bangladeshis... 29 lakh bighas (10 lakh acres) are still encroached by illegal Bangladeshis and doubtful citizens,” the chief minister said.

With PTI inputs