Key Points

Reiterating his government's zero-tolerance approach, Sarma said all encroachers--regardless of their origin--would be evicted. Addressing a press conference in Guwahati, the Chief Minister alleged that the encroachment process typically begins with a few settlers occupying land and starting cultivation, gradually expanding into full-fledged settlements.

"There appears to be a clear design behind this. First, a few individuals settle, then more are brought in to form a community," he said.

Citing a recent eviction drive in Lakhimpur district, Sarma revealed that 12 families from Manipur and Nagaon had settled in an area previously cleared of encroachments.

He said the district administration has been directed to send them back. The Chief Minister also claimed that many encroachers falsely identify themselves as residents of nearby districts like Goalpara, while actually hailing from West Bengal or Bangladesh.

"Just yesterday, we apprehended 16 illegal Bangladeshi nationals," he added, blaming previous governments for failing to prevent such cross-border infiltration.

Sarma pointed to a repeated pattern of encroachment across regions: ginger cultivation in Lumding, betel nut farming in Uriamghat (Golaghat), and rubber plantations in Sribhumi and Hailakandi. In Uriamghat alone, over 500 families are believed to have settled, he said, alleging that some are cultivating up to 500 bighas per family.

He further expressed concern about the blending of Myanmar-imported betel nuts with local produce to pass it off as indigenous, calling for stricter checks.

Sarma also hinted at administrative inaction, saying forest officials and some local politicians allowed settlements to grow unchecked as they became potential vote banks. "Once the population exceeds 5,000 to 10,000, even MLAs hesitate to act," he remarked.

The Assam government has cleared 1.19 lakh bighas of land since May 2021, impacting approximately 50,000 people.

However, the CM said that 63 lakh bighas--nearly half of which is forest land--still remain under encroachment. Without naming any specific group, Sarma attributed the trend to a demographic shift allegedly driven by people of "one religion," warning of a "land invasion" affecting indigenous communities.

- IANS