- By Aditya Jha
- Sat, 26 Jul 2025 03:38 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday stated that a large portion of the government and forest land has been encroached upon by the residents of other states, including West Bengal and Bihar. He further stated that the details of the encroachers will be shared with the local administration, adding that action might be taken if they actually belonged to "across the border". However, Sarma emphasised that no action will be taken against them if they belong to any Indian state. He had earlier stated that 1.29 lakh bighas (nearly 43,000 acres) have been cleared of encroachment in the last four years.
"When we went through the list of encroachers, we found that these people are not just from Assam. There are people from districts like Cachar, Sribhumi, Dhubri, Hojai, Nagaon, Morigaon, but there are people even from Bihar and West Bengal," Sarma informed while talking to the reporters inspecting sites for eviction drives in Uriamghat in Golaghat.
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"They have said that they are from Bihar, but they could be from across the border," he added. The CM said names, addresses, and other details will be taken from them and shared with the authorities of the place they claim to have come from. "If they are genuine people from those parts, we have nothing against them. But if they are not permanent residents there, the local authorities can take steps," he added.
Sarma further stated that several residents had complained regarding the encroachment in their area, adding that the government cannot be a mute spectator amid the ongoing wrong practices. "Now, all can work together to make it an area with positive vibes. Local youths can engage in business by utilising the resources after the land is cleared," Sarma said.
He further stated that around 29 lakh bighas (almost 10 lakh acres) of land are still under encroachment in the state.