Assam says neighbouring states encroached on its land 56 times in 2020

The Assam government on Monday informed the assembly that the state has faced 56 instances of land encroachment by the neighbouring states such as Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Mizoram in 2020.

In a written reply to a query by Leader of Opposition Debabrata Saikia, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary said that these 56 cases of land encroachments were reported across 11 districts since January 1 this year.

The highest 17 cases were reported from Cachar, which faced violent clashes between the people of Assam and Mizoram, Patowary said on behalf of Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, who also holds the Home portfolio.

One person was killed in clashes in Cachar, he added.

Cachar is followed by West Karbi Anglong and Kamrup districts that reported seven instances of land encroachment, the minister said.

Other districts where Assam’s land was encroached on are Lakhimpur (six cases), Dhemaji and Karbi Anglong (five each), Jorhat (four), Karimganj (two), and Sadiya, Tinsukia and Sivasagar (one each), Patowary said.

To recover the encroached land, the Assam government has written a number of letters to the respective states and the Centre, he said.