'Encroachers' damage excavators, try to attack police during eviction drive in Assam

Dhubri (Assam): Alleged encroachers damaged excavators and tried to attack police personnel during an eviction drive in Assam’s Dhubri district on Tuesday, prompting security forces to resort to a baton charge to disperse the mob, officials said.

Altogether 1,069 families were living in three revenue villages where the anti-encroachment drive was being carried out, a district official said.

“Around 95 per cent of the families had already left the area after the chief minister visited here some days back. Disbursement of cheques to affected people as per norms is also going on.

"But there is a section of people who resist anything positive and try to create problems. The situation is under control now,” he said.

The police had to resort to a baton charge when miscreants attempted to attack them, but no personnel were injured in the incident, the official said.

Locals claimed that the situation remained tense in parts of the area where the eviction drive had commenced since morning.

A section of the affected people purportedly attacked two excavators with sticks and bricks, and the two vehicles were damaged.

Officials claimed that the eviction drive was going on after the situation was brought under control, with Bengali-speaking Muslims mostly affected by the anti-encroachment exercise.

Sivasagar MLA and Raijor Dal president Akhil Gogoi, who was going to meet the affected people, was stopped by the police from visiting the eviction sites.

He was taken away from the area by police, party sources said.

A senior official of the Dhubri district administration told PTI on Monday that plans were firmed up to evict 1,200-1,400 families to clear encroachments on 3,000 bighas of land in three revenue villages in Dhubri.

The cleared land will be handed over to APDCL for a proposed thermal power project by the Adani group in the Chapor revenue circle.

"We have allotted 3,500 bighas to Assam Power Distribution Company Limited (APDCL) for handing it over to the Adani group. Out of that, around 3,000 bighas are encroached by 1,200-1,400 families, and we will clear that land," the official said.

The eviction drive was being carried out in Charuwa Bakra, Chirakuta and Santoshpur villages, and those living there were given notices to clear the alleged encroached land, he claimed.

"We have earmarked 300 bighas at Baizar Alga in the Athani circle for a temporary rehabilitation of the encroachers. We have also sanctioned Rs 50,000 each, and already many people have received the compensation amount before voluntarily leaving their land," he said.

Many families have permanent 'pattas' or land rights in these three villages, and the government will start a proper land acquisition process by compensating them as per standards.

Last month, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had visited the proposed site for the power plant, and announced that a 3,400 MW thermal power facility will be established there, and a tender for the project will be floated shortly.

The Assam government has geared up to clear more than 4,000 bighas (over 540 hectares) of land from alleged encroachers in Dhubri and Goalpara districts, with the drive likely to affect around 2,500 families, the officials said on Monday.