TEZPUR : The drive to evict “encroachers” from nearly 1,900 hectares of forest and revenue land in Assam’s Sonitpur district continued for the second day on Wednesday, with 12,000-odd people, who were allegedly staying there illegally for decades, left in the lurch, a senior official said, reports PTI.
Since morning, the administration started the eviction in five places of Burachapori Wildlife Sanctuary and nearby government land, the official said.
“Today, we are carrying out the eviction exercise at Lathimari, Ganesh Tapu, Baghe Tapu, Gulirpar and Siali. So far it has been peaceful, and no untoward incident has been reported,” he said.
With a huge posse of armed security personnel, the Sonitpur district administration had on Tuesday started the exercise to clear “encroached” land in the wildlife sanctuary and nearby revenue villages on the southern bank of the Brahmaputra river in central Assam.
While most of the occupants, predominantly Bengali-speaking Muslims, had left their houses after receiving notices in the last few weeks, some were in the process to vacate their premises when the eviction drive started, some of the affected families said.
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