'Encroachers' damage excavators try to attack police during eviction drive in Assam

    Dhubri (Assam), Jul 8 (PTI) Alleged encroachers damaged excavators and tried to attack police personnel during an eviction drive in Assam's Dhubri district on Tuesday, prompting security forces to resort to a baton charge to disperse the mob, officials said.
    Altogether 1,069 families were living in three revenue villages where the anti-encroachment drive was being carried out, a district official said.
    Police had to resort to baton charge as the situation threatened to turn volatile around noon, though the rest of the operation was carried out in a peaceful manner with heavy security deployment and in the presence of top civil and police officers.
    Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma affirmed that the government will continue to clear encroached land so that it can be used for public purposes.
    "About 90 per cent of the encroachers had already left the place. The eviction had to be carried out for only 10 per cent people…our objective is that all encroached land in the state will be cleared so that it can be used for public good," Sarma told reporters on the sidelines of a programme in Tamulpur.
    He added that another eviction drive to clear reserve forest land in Goalpara district will be carried out on Thursday.
    Dhubri District Commissioner (DC) Dibakar Nath said about 3,500 bighas of land under Chapar circle office of Bilasipara sub-district is being cleared during the drive.
    "An ex gratia of Rs 50,000 to each family who were living here without land rights has been sanctioned. We have already distributed 350 cheques and more are in process," he said.
    Nath said some land is occupied by people with land 'patta' and they will be provided with compensation as per norms.
    On the situation turning violent, the DC claimed that it was the result of "some misunderstanding" as there was "some delay in an ambulance reaching the site and rumours" were doing rounds.
    The situation was promptly brought under control by police and the eviction drive continued without further disruptions, Nath added.
    At least two excavators were damaged by the people, who attacked these with sticks, bricks and other such items, local reports said.
    Nath urged the affected people to cooperate with the administration and shift to the land allotted for their temporary rehabilitation.
    Another district official said 1,069 families were living in three revenue villages where the anti-encroachment drive was being carried out.
    He said police had to resort to a baton charge when miscreants attempted to attack them, but no personnel were injured in the incident.
    Sivasagar MLA and Raijor Dal president Akhil Gogoi, who went to meet the affected people, was stopped by police from visiting the eviction sites.
    He was taken away from the area by police, party sources said.
    The affected people, mostly Bengali-speaking Muslims, claimed that they had been residing in the area for generations and were availing of all government schemes as legal residents.
    They demanded rehabilitation of land near the evicted area, claiming that the arrangements made for temporary shelter by the administration were not safe as it was near the river bank.
    A senior official of Dhubri district administration had told PTI on Monday that the cleared land will be handed over to APDCL for a proposed thermal power project by the Adani group in the Chapor revenue circle.
    "We have allotted 3,500 bighas to Assam Power Distribution Company Limited (APDCL) for handing it over to the Adani group. Out of that, around 3,000 bighas are encroached by 1,200-1,400 families, and we will clear that land," the official said.
    The eviction drive was being carried out in Charuwa Bakra, Chirakuta and Santoshpur villages, and those living there were given notices to clear the alleged encroached land, he claimed.
    "We have earmarked 300 bighas at Baizar Alga in the Athani circle for a temporary rehabilitation of the encroachers. We have also sanctioned Rs 50,000 each, and already many people have received the compensation amount before voluntarily leaving their land," he said.
    Last month, Sarma had visited the proposed site for the power plant, and announced that a 3,400 MW thermal power facility will be established there, and a tender for the project will be floated shortly.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)