Eviction and land settlement to go on simultaneously: R&DM Minister Jogen Mohan

 STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Revenue and Disaster Management (R&DM) Minister Jogen Mohan said that the government would carry out eviction drives against encroachers and give land settlements to indigenous landless people in the state simultaneously.

Talking to The Sentinel, the Minister said, "Freeing government and reserve forest lands from encroachers is among the topmost priorities of the government. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has instructed the department to follow this policy. People occupying government and forest lands should vacate the lands themselves without waiting for the government to use force against them."

The Minister said, "The NGT (National Green Tribunal) is concerned over people encroaching upon reserve forest lands in the state. The Tribunal issues us directives in this regard from time to time. Freeing forest lands from encroachers is very important from the environmental point of view, including climate changes."

He said, "We have planned to carry out plantation drives on forest lands freed from encroachers not to allow re-encroachment and to widen the green cover."

On land settlement, he said, "If there are any landless people, they should apply to the government for land settlement. However, they cannot occupy government lands illegally. We have already launched the Mini Mission to provide land settlement to the landless people of the state."

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