Authorities in Assam’s Sonitpur district on Tuesday launched a drive to evict over 2,500 families. Most of the persons living in the area are Bengali-speaking Muslims and have been primarily engaged in cultivation.
The authorities claimed that the families have been living illegally on forest land, nearly 1,892 hectares. It was declared a reserve forest in 1974.
Sonitpur Deputy Commissioner Deba Kumar Mishra told Times of India that the drive would continue for three days. He claimed that thousands of persons had illegally occupied the area for decades.
Mishra said they are carrying out the eviction exercise at Lathimari, Ganesh Tapu, Baghe Tapu, Gulirpar, and Siali.
The Muslims were seen loading their belongings in tractor trolleys at various places since Tuesday morning, even as bulldozers were deployed to demolish their houses.
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