Second round of eviction carried out at Lahorijan

A CORRESPONDENT

BOKAJAN: The land revenue department of Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) carried out another round of eviction in the Dudu colony area of Lahorijan Block 3 under Borjan Mouza of Bokajan subdivision on Friday. The department was assisted by the district administration and police force during the drive.

Earlier on Monday, the department had conducted an eviction in the area and had dismantled around 115 dwelling units, including concrete structures and makeshift huts spread across an area covering around 100 bighas of KAAC revenue land. As per official record of the KAAC Land and Revenue Department, a total of 210 bighas of government land have been occupied by doubtful individuals in the area. The December 20 drive, however, could clear only 100 bighas of this land as some residents obtained a stay injunction of Gauhati High Court.

The Chief Executive Member of KAAC, Tuliram Ronghang, in a press meet held at his official residence soon after Monday's drive, said that the Land Revenue department of KAAC verified the land records and found that no individual in the Dudu Colony area possesses any legal land documents issued by the KAAC and the area was illegally occupied by doubtful migrants using fake documents.

An atmosphere of fear and apprehension prevailed in the area following today's drive as authorities brought down several structures. Situation on the ground remained tense and the administration had to use moderate force to disperse the crowd.

Some evictees of the Dudu Colony area told this correspondent that they have settled in that part of land since 1910, much before the formation of KAAC. Evictees also questioned the land revenue department as to why the department was collecting annual revenue in the form of khazna if the land in question is illegally occupied and the department had not issued any legal land documents in the area.

Senior officials of the Land and Revenue Department, Deputy Commissioner of Karbi Anglong Dibakar Nath and Superintendent of Police Pusparaj Singh monitored the eviction process which started at 8 am and continued till late afternoon. The entire drive was by and large seamless. 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.

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