OUR CORRESPONDENT
DIGBOI: Digboi BJP MLA Suren Phukan, while reaching out to the poor, displaced and helpless victims of the Railway’s eviction drive at Digboi’s Bogapani area, expressed his solidarity and concern towards the affected people on Sunday morning.
Extending his assistance, the BJP legislator assured that the poor and genuine people among those who have been affected by the eviction drive would be rehabilitated adequately. “Well-to-do people who have been evicted despite prolonged occupation of the railway land cannot be officially considered for benefits and rehabilitation whatsoever,” he said.
Around 196 houses erected from Bogapani to Tingrai Bazar along on the NH-38 land within the jurisdiction of railway administration were dismantled by the Tinsukia railway department under NFR. Hitting a balanced chord justifying both sides, Phukan on one hand expressed his concern over the aftermath of the eviction by railway administration, and on the other hand, he appreciated the efforts of the government to bring in wider development in terms of roads and railways in the area.
“I have taken up the matter to the Chief Minister for needful consideration on humanaterian ground, besides urging the Tinsukia DC to explore means to assist the affected people,” he said.
At the same time the MLA also underlined the mistake on the part of the affected people to erect concrete houses illegally along the roadside on Railway land instead of procuring an affordable plot to build a house. “Many of the illegal occupants here own several vehicles and their income per annum is upto Rs 10 lakh,” said Phukan. “I sincerely urge a few politically motivated leaders not to politicize the matter and to instead come forward to help in rehabilitating the people in distress,” added the MLA.
Lurin Jyoti Gogoi, Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) president, reached the site on Sunday and expressed shock and dismay at the living condition of the displaced people after the eviction. The government should compensate the landless people and they must be rehabilitated, demanded Gogoi. The railway administration has brought the eviction drive to a temporary halt in the area on account of the court’s stay order to this effect.
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