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Villagers Vacate Homes in Assam’s Kamrup Amidst Eviction Tensions

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GG News Bureau
Guwahati, 16th Sept. Kochutoli village in Assam’s Kamrup (Metropolitan) district saw a mass exodus of families on Monday as they vacated their homes following the deadline to clear “encroached land,” according to officials. The villagers, who were seen leaving with their belongings, including livestock, were described by authorities as “illegal settlers in the tribal belt.”

Many of the families, alleged to be encroachers, own land in other districts like Darrang, Morigaon, and Barpeta and have started relocating to those areas, officials added.

The district administration had set September 16 as the final deadline for residents to vacate Kochutoli. Eviction notices were issued to those “illegally occupying government land,” with authorities warning that stringent action would be taken against anyone remaining after the deadline.

Earlier, an eviction team from the Sonapur Circle office and the police were met with violence from Bengali-speaking Muslim villagers on September 12. The villagers, who had previously been evicted but returned to the land, attacked officials and police with sharp weapons, sticks, and stones, leading to two deaths and over 35 injuries, including to 22 government personnel. The police opened fire to control the mob.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stated that the tribal belts and blocks have been protected under laws since 1950, initiated during the tenure of Gopinath Bordoloi, Assam’s first Congress Chief Minister. Sarma reiterated that the eviction drive would continue, emphasizing, “We will clear the tribal belts and blocks of all encroachment by doubtful illegal settlers.”

He accused Congress of inciting the attack on officials and police during the eviction drive. Meanwhile, Director General of Police G.P. Singh suggested that the attack might have been part of a larger conspiracy, as the eviction had been proceeding peacefully since September 9.

Pro-eviction tribal groups blocked separate delegations of Congress and AIUDF MLAs from entering the village over the weekend. Congress has since accused the state government of violating court orders by not issuing proper eviction notices, citing rulings from both the Supreme Court and Gauhati High Court.

The post Villagers Vacate Homes in Assam’s Kamrup Amidst Eviction Tensions appeared first on Global Governance News- Asia's First Bilingual News portal for Global News and Updates.



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