Assam govt hails HC ruling on forest encroachment, CM calls it boost to eviction drive
Sarma hits out at Congress, says court order ends their pledge to give back encroached forest land
Several backhoe loaders demolishing a mosque in Japoriguri eviction site, on Monday. (AT Photo)
Guwahati, August 19: The Assam government has welcomed the Gauhati High Court’s directive to establish a robust monitoring mechanism to prevent further encroachment of reserve forest land in the state.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, reacting to the development on Monday night, described the order as “historic seal” on the government’s efforts.
“The court has gone a step further than the government. We carried out evictions but did not hold officers accountable. The order ensures that action will also be taken against officials under whose watch encroachments took place,” he said.
Though the government is yet to receive a copy of the order, Sarma said he had watched the proceedings on YouTube.
According to him, the Chief Justice made it clear that eviction in forest land must be backed by strong regulations and those officers responsible during the period of encroachment must face action.
“Large-scale encroachment happened between 2006 and 2011. In Goalpara, for instance, the forest official under whose watch it occurred is now an advocate,” Sarma added.
The Chief Minister also highlighted another key aspect of the verdict—extending the duration of eviction notices from seven to 15 days, and mandating that claims of revenue land ownership be duly acknowledged.
Although the ruling specifically pertains to 75 individuals in Uriamghat, Sarma said it has set an important precedent.
“This order has brought uniformity. From now on, in any court case, the government will be able to serve a 15-day notice before eviction,” he explained.
Expressing gratitude to the Gauhati High Court, he said the decision has strengthened the government’s resolve to free more forest land from encroachment.
The Chief Minister also took aim at the Opposition, particularly the Congress, for “politicising” the issue.
“The Congress has been claiming that if they come to power, they will return these lands. This verdict has ended such prospects once and for all,” he remarked.
Earlier on Monday, a division bench comprising Chief Justice Ashutosh Kumar and Justice Arun Dev Choudhury suggested fencing porous border areas with barbed wire and setting up functional check posts to prevent illegal entry into reserve forests.
“Such measures will be effective only if officials managing these posts discharge their duties honestly and efficiently. If illegal entry is detected, penal action must be taken against them,” the bench observed.