Encroachment a conspiracy to help immigrants: Himanta Biswa Sarma

A day after the eviction of 331 houses from government land, Assam health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma here on Tuesday said that encroachment of land near Kaziranga National Park was part of a bigger conspiracy to provide footholds to illegal immigrants in Upper Assam. Asserting that the BJP government was determined to evict encroachers from all the government land, Mr Sarma told reporters that similar encroachment was reported from Mayong where a large area of land has been under encroachment for last 12 years.

Informing that these encroachers came as flood victim, Mr Sarma said that the previous Congress government was protecting them but now they will have to vacate the encroached land.

About the Monday’s eviction drive, Mr Sarma said that they have evicted encroachment from over 2,500 bigha of reserve forest land, which was also considered to be a corridor for wild elephants.

Pointing out that the previous Congress government was not only violating the court order but also went to the Supreme Court to defend these encroachers, Mr Himanta Biswa Sarma said that there were only 35 indigenous families but most of them agreed to leave the place.

Mr Sarma also presented documentary evidence as to how the previous Congress government disrespected the court order by constructing roads under PMGSY scheme and provided electricity connection to the villages even after the court order.

Pointing out that a lot of time was given to the villagers to vacate the land, Mr Sarma said that BJP government was not going to soften their stand on evicting the encroachers, as it was the part of a larger conspiracy to provide shelter to immigrants in Upper Assam.

He said that Gauhati high court had taken cognisance after a group of 15 advocates moved a petition.

The eviction drive of the BJP government has spilled into a major controversy in the state with Opposition Congress opposing the move. The All Assam Minority Students Union had also called for Assam bandh on Tuesday in protest, which had partial impact in minority-dominated areas of the state.