Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announces reclamation of 912 acres of encroached land in Hailakandi district, intensifying the state’s eviction drive to protect forest, government land, ecological balance, and indigenous rights.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday announced that 912 acres of encroached land have been reclaimed in the Hailakandi district as part of the state government’s ongoing eviction campaign. The recovered land, according to the Chief Minister, is larger than the campus of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati, underlining the scale of the operation.
In a post on social media platform X, Sarma said the eviction drive, which began on Monday, marked a significant step in the government’s mission to reclaim illegally occupied land across Assam. Sharing visuals of bulldozers clearing the area, he described the operation as a reaffirmation of the state’s resolve “to reclaim every inch of our land from encroachers.”
“It’s a question of our survival, and we shall emerge victorious,” the Chief Minister wrote, framing the eviction effort as crucial to the long-term interests of the state.
Officials said the 912 acres freed in Hailakandi included forest land as well as government-owned land that had been under encroachment for several years. The district administration carried out the drive with heavy machinery and security deployment to prevent any disruption, officials added.
The Hailakandi operation is part of a broader, state-wide initiative launched under Sarma’s leadership to clear illegal settlements from forest areas, reserve land, and government property. Since assuming office in 2021, the Chief Minister has consistently defended eviction drives as necessary to protect Assam’s ecological balance, administrative order, and the rights of indigenous communities.
Sarma has repeatedly argued that unchecked encroachment poses a serious threat to Assam’s fragile environment, particularly its forests and wetlands, which play a crucial role in flood control and biodiversity conservation. He has also linked the issue to demographic concerns, stating that illegal occupation of land by outsiders can alter population patterns and marginalise indigenous communities over time.
In earlier statements, the Chief Minister claimed that eviction drives conducted across various districts have already resulted in the recovery of tens of thousands of acres of land. According to him, reclaiming encroached land is not merely a matter of enforcing the law but also of preserving Assam’s cultural and social identity.
He has warned that once illegal settlers become politically entrenched, removing them becomes increasingly difficult, potentially endangering the future of indigenous populations. “If decisive action is not taken in time, the damage becomes irreversible,” Sarma has said on previous occasions.
The eviction drive in Hailakandi is expected to affect hundreds of families who have been residing on the reclaimed land. District officials acknowledged that the operation would lead to displacement but said steps were being taken to follow due process.
Local administrators stated that affected individuals would be offered rehabilitation options in line with existing government norms, wherever applicable. They also said surveys had been conducted prior to the drive to identify the nature of encroachment and the status of occupants.
However, the eviction campaign has drawn criticism from opposition parties and civil society groups, who have urged the government to ensure humane treatment of those displaced. Critics have called for transparent rehabilitation policies, adequate notice periods, and safeguards to protect vulnerable families, including women, children, and the elderly.
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Opposition leaders have also questioned the social impact of large-scale eviction drives, arguing that enforcement should be balanced with welfare considerations. In response, the state government has maintained that eviction is carried out only after legal procedures are followed and that genuine residents are considered for rehabilitation.
As Assam continues its aggressive land reclamation efforts, the Hailakandi eviction drive is likely to remain a focal point in the ongoing debate between governance, environmental protection, and humanitarian concerns. With the government showing no signs of slowing down its campaign, further eviction operations are expected in other districts in the coming months.
