STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: The Nagaon District Administration has mobilized forces for a massive eviction drive near the Batadrava Than. Witnessing the movement of police forces, several encroachers have already dismantled their houses and left the area.
According to sources, people have encroached upon around 1,200 bighas of land in the Bhumuraguri Lalungaon, Haidubi, Kobaikata Xatra, etc., areas in the Nagaon district. The district administration has planned to clear 250 bighas of land in the first phase of the eviction drive. According to sources, the massive eviction drive may start anytime in the next 24 hours. The administration is making the encroachers leave the place to avoid any untoward incident during the eviction drive. A top police official said, "We are ready for a massive eviction drive. We, however, will try our best to do everything peacefully."
The three-member commission constituted to review and assess xatra lands has mentioned in its report that most of the land of the Batadrava Than that had an association with Srimanta Sankardev is under encroachment. The report said, "At present 9,000 bighas of land covering Santijan, Kujibeel, Goroimari Reserve, Roumari Beel, and Leteri Suti are completely under illegal encroachment by immigrant people of erstwhile East Bengal origin. Whoever has occupied these natural water bodies and forest reserves are illegal encroachers. Their activities are harmful and against the very concept of preservation of our biodiversity and natural habitat, and therefore, must be evicted. The entire water route connected with Mahapurush Sri Sri Sankardev's activities and Assam's Vaishnava traditions need to be open again. The historic water bodies must be put to suitable and sustainable productivity use."
The report also mentioned the plight of Dhing (Salaguri) Xatra. "The entire Xatra campus consists of hardly one bigha of land, whereas the Xatra had under its possession 25 bighas of land in 2007, most of which is now illegally occupied by encroachers," the report said.
The lands of Alipukhuri Xatra, Kobaikata Xatra, and Narowa Bali Xatra in the Nagaon district are under encroachment.
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