Eviction drive in Hojai turns violent; police constable injured in stone-pelting

Nagaon, Aug 21: The Hojai Municipal Board along with the Hojai district administration conducted an eviction drive against eight families who had been illegally occupying 19 bigha government land at Adarsha Bazar in Hojai on Wednesday.

During the drive, the encroachers tried to halt the eviction and also attacked the police as well as other security personnel by pelting stones where a police constable was seriously injured. In response to this, police also resorted to a baton charge.

While speaking to the local media persons, Chaturthi Rani Biswas, chairperson, Hojai Municipal Board, said that a few days back, the Board submitted a letter to the District Commissioner, Hojai requesting him to demarcate the Hojai Municipal Board land located at Adarsha Bazar in Hojai.

She said the HMB has some upcoming developmental projects for this area, As the Board cannot do proceed with the job without freeing the land from illegal occupants, the eviction drive was conducted.

As per reports, in 1963, the Municipal Board got the allotment of 19 bighas of land at Adarsha Bazar in Hojai and these families had illegally occupied the land and settled there.

Ashim Jyoti Kalita, Executive Officer, Hojai Municipal Board said that the demarcation process was completed on August 7, adding that as per the Assam Municipal Act, the Board served 48-hour prior notices to the illegal occupants to vacate the government land. However, on humanitarian ground, the Board didn’t carry out the evicition on August 18 and 19, but seeing no movement, it finally carried out the drive today.

On the other hand, a lawyer named Abdul Ahad claimed at the eviction site today that the evicted families had been residing in the land for the last 40 years. He alleged that the Board misused police force to vacate the land.

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