GUWAHATI: The Assam Government’s move to build 1,500 houses and electrify them under the Indira Awas Yojana (IAY) on a grazing reserve land measuring 3,000 bighas which was encroached upon by the alleged illegal Bangladeshi immigrants, at Sipajhar in the State’s Darrang district, has raised many an eyebrow.
Government records suggest this is a part of 77,420 bighas of the encroached land.
According to an eviction order of May 9, 1994, the land was encroached upon by “non-Indians” and “non-citizens”. It has a settlement of 70,000 people and 25,000 of them are voters.
The Prabajan Virodhi Manch (PVM), which has for long been vocal against immigration, said 32 government schools, three healthcare centres and a number of toilets under Swachh Bharat Abhiyan had come up on the encroached land.
“….And now, even after a case was filed in Mangaldoi by some locals, the government is proceeding with electrification and construction of 1,500 IAY houses. Under Section 165 of the Assam Land Revenue Regulation, the state government has powers to evict the land under declared encroachers. Instead, the government is making it a hub for the voting foreigners. And that too in 3000 bighas of grazing reserve, on which no settlement is allowed as per law. No government lawyer has appeared in 19 hearings,” PVM member and Supreme Court lawyer Upamanyu Hazarika said.
The apex court had earlier set up a one-man commission, headed by Hazarika, for a field visit to the India-Bangladesh border to take stock of the immigration situation. Hazarika was critical of the administration for failing to evict the encroachers. He said in the face of mass campaign and rallies, the district authorities had on December 5, 2015, promised to clear the encroached land by February 15. But not only have they failed to fulfil the promise, fresh amenities like electricity and housing are being provided, he lamented.