Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal Annoucnes Rs 1 Lakh Each for 1,300 Families of Laika-Dodhia Villages

Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has announced an one-time financial assistance of Rs one lakh to 1,300 landless families living in the two forest viallges of Laika and Dodhia inside the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park located in Dibrugarh and Tinsukia districts.

CM Sonowal made the annuoncement while attending the 38th triennial central convention of All Assam Tribal Sangh in Nelli, Morigaon.

The financial aid announcment has come even before the report of the committe set up by the CM to find a permanent solution for the families living in these forest villages has been submitted. The committee was directed by the CM to complete the process of taking stock of the situation of the villagers and finding a viable solution for their rehabilitation and resettlement by January 31 (tomorrow).

According to reports, there are around 1,480 families in these two villages who are awaiting to be relocated and resettled.

Some of the Laika-Dodhia villagers and supporters of their cause held protests near the office of Deputy Commissioner of Tinsukia. They had set up camps with women and children and continued with the protests as a pressure building tactic. Protests were seen in Guwahati too in support of the Laika-Dodhia villaergs' cause.

Laika and Dhodhia are two forest villages that fall under Dibru-Saikhowa National Park of Upper Assam's Tinsukia district. The Laika and Dodhia villages are said to have come into existence after the massive earthquake of 1950 that rocked Assam. Post the earthquake, Brahmaputra river washed away several villages. Some of the people who survived the massive floods are said to have settled in these villages which fall inside the Dibru-Saikhowa reserve forest. As the villages are inside forest area, developmental work is not possible and human habitation inside forest areas are not allowed.

Problem for the families living inside the National Park began when in 1986 Dibru and Saikhowa reserve forests were clubbed together and then in 1999, the Dibru-Saikhowa Wildlife Sanctuary was upgraded to a National Park.

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