Assam: Massive Eviction Drive in Nalbari: 82 Bighas of Grazing Land Freed from Illegal Encroachers
“The eviction was carried out as per the directive of the Gauhati High Court to free all VGR land from encroachment.
NALBARI— In a major operation to reclaim public land, the Nalbari district administration on Monday conducted a large-scale eviction drive at Bakrikuchi village under the Borkhetry revenue circle, clearing approximately 82 bighas of Village Grazing Reserve (VGR) land from illegal encroachments.
The drive, conducted under the supervision of Deputy Commissioner Nibedan Das Patowary, was carried out peacefully with the deployment of over 500 security personnel, including state police and paramilitary forces.
Authorities used 12 bulldozers to demolish unauthorized structures including homes, religious places, anganwadi centres, and fishery setups that had been built on the encroached land.
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“The eviction was carried out as per the directive of the Gauhati High Court to free all VGR land from encroachment. Over 70% of the affected families had vacated voluntarily after notice was served earlier this month,” said DC Patowary.
According to officials, nearly 300 families had been living on the land, some for over a decade. Most of them vacated before the operation began, and the eviction was completed without any resistance or incident. However, dozens of families who lost their homes have set up makeshift camps nearby and are demanding proper rehabilitation and compensation.
The eviction is part of the Assam government’s ongoing initiative to recover encroached public lands, especially VGR and forest areas, which are legally reserved for community use such as cattle grazing. The move aligns with recent court mandates to restore such lands across the state.
This operation in Nalbari follows a similar large-scale eviction in Goalpara district earlier in June, where over 667 families were evicted from approximately 600 bighas of government land.
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While the administration has praised the smooth execution of the drive, opposition parties and civil rights groups have raised concerns over the displacement of vulnerable populations, especially women and children. Many affected families are now living in temporary shelters, seeking urgent government support.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has reiterated that the government is committed to protecting public land and will continue such eviction operations across the state.
“These drives are not meant to target any community but to enforce land laws. Rehabilitation measures will be considered case by case,” a senior official said.
Officials confirmed that this was just the first phase of the eviction, and around 370 bighas of additional encroached land in the area is yet to be cleared. Further operations are expected in the coming weeks.
