AIUDF urges CM to stop eviction drive at Batadrova, submits memo

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: A delegation of MLAs of the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) on Thursday met Chief Minister HimantaBiswaSarma at his office in the Assam Legislative Assembly and submitted a memorandum to him regarding the 'inhuman eviction' at Batadrova.

The delegation was led by AIUDF Legislature Party leader Hafiz Bashir Ahmed and included MLAs like Sirajuddin Ajmal.

In the memorandum, it was stated that the eviction drive rendered hundreds of people homeless in this cold winter season. The people at Santijan Bazar, Haidubi, Lalungaon, Jamaibasti and Balisatra of Batadrava mouza had occupied the land for the last 30 years and more, among which some of them were reportedly permitted to take shelter on the land by former ministers and MLAs. Some of them are paying government revenue against the occupied land. "On the strength of their occupation, like others, they are also seeking settlement on their land," stated the memorandum.

It further said that all the encroachers were Indian citizens who found no place to settle. "A planned settlement or allotment of these lands shall not only bring the land under fruitful utilization but also shall be able to provide shelter to these landless people in a lawful manner. But most unfortunately, it has been initiated in a selective manner following a discriminatory policy in the district," it stated.

The AIUDF stated that most of the inhabitants are from economically weaker sections and the inhuman eviction drive was a "direct attack on the right to shelter of these people. The right to shelter has been held to be a fundamental right under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution".

The AIUDF has urged the Chief Minister to intervene and immediately stop the "illegal and inhuman eviction" at the earliest.The AIUDF has demanded that since people are living there for decades and had a settled life, before evicting people there should be proper rehabilitation package for them. "We demand rehabilitation with all facilities like provision for drinking water, primary health, education etc. The rehabilitation should be done in a time-bound manner," stated the memorandum.

The other demands include that the evicted people should be brought under the purview of Bashundhara 2.0 and given settlement of land as per provision. All evictions during winter must be stopped, and the government must ensure human rights provisions are protected before initiating further eviction.

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