Encroachments cleared in Lahorijan; 100 bighas of KAAC revenue land freed

A CORRESPONDENT

BOKAJAN: The Land Revenue department of Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) carried out an eviction drive in the Lahorijan area of Assam adjacent to the Nagaland border on Monday. The department was assisted by the district administration and the police force during the drive.

The drive was particularly carried out in the Dudu Colony area of Lahorijan Block 3 under Borjan Mouza of Bokajan Sub-Division aimed at clearing a major chunk of KAAC revenue land from illegal encroachment.

Earlier, the Land Revenue department of KAAC demarcated the area and had issued eviction notice to atleast 107 individuals occupying government land in the area. However, 6 individuals obtained legal protection from Guwahati High Court and remained excluded from being evicted today.

Over 420 security personnel including CRPF and Assam police had been deployed in the area to prevent any untoward situation during the drive. The district administration has also promulgated section 144 CrPC in the general area of Lahorijan to maintain law and order in the area. Shops and business establishments remained closed within the radius of 700 metres of Dudu Colony during the drive.

Karbi Anglong Deputy Commissioner Dibakar Nath and Superintendent of Police Pusparaj Singh were present during the drive. The drive started at 8 in the morning and the administration mobilized a dozen excavators in the area to demolish roughly 115 dwelling units including concrete structures and makeshift huts during the daylong drive. The exact extent of the cleared land is yet to be assessed. However, an official of the KAAC Land Revenue department claims it to be close to 100 bighas approximately.

Most of the residents in the Dudu Colony area are migrant labours who work in the neighbouring Dimapur city of Nagaland and live as tenants here at Dudu Colony in Assam. These people voluntarily started vacating their rented premises prior to the commencement of the eviction drive and the remaining also didn't show much resistance as they had already relocated themselves inside the Nirmal Kumar Tea Estate which remained off the eviction list.

Most of the area under Lahorijan and Dudu Colony situated at the edge of the Nagaland border is either revenue land of KAAC or land belonging to Nirmal Kumar Tea Estate. Only a handful of the residents in the area possess authentic land documents issued by the revenue department of KAAC. The most affected is the Nirmal Kumar Tea Estate where large scale encroachments have taken place in recent years. Residents have already raised doubts about the outcome of the drive where a huge amount of public money has been spent with little to no result at the end of the day.

Alleging that the administration is only targeting a particular community through the eviction drives, a resident whose building was demolished in Dudu Colony today, expressed resentment at the government stating that if the government really wants to carry eviction in the truest sense, then the drive must not remain confined to Dudu Colony alone and be extended to entire Lahorijan area where many rich influential individuals have erected tall concrete structures inside Nirmal Kumar Tea Estate and its adjoining areas but failed to attract the attention of the land revenue department and the government as well. This is total injustice. He lamented.

Also Read:  Minister Parimal Suklabaidya asks administration to remove encroachments from forest lands

Also Watch: