Eviction won't stop: Himanta on anti-encroachment drive

Speaking in the assembly during a Zero Hour discussion Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the BJP government will continue to carry out eviction exercises and "there is no point talking about it".

Guwahati: Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday asserted that eviction drives to clear government and forest land in Assam will continue as long as the BJP runs the state. Speaking in the assembly during a Zero Hour discussion initiated by Congress MLA Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha, Sarma said the BJP government will continue to carry out eviction exercises and "there is no point talking about it".

"Eviction is a continuous process and it won't stop. We will clear forest and government land (across the state) as well as in Batadrava," he said. Sarma said Sattras (Vaishnavite monasteries), just like Batadrava, represent the identity and culture of the Assamese people. "All people, whether Hindus or Muslims, will have to vacate Sattra land. We request all to leave the encroached land or else we will do eviction there," he added.

When Congress MLA Rakibul Hussain appealed to the government to look after the basic needs such as drinking water and food of the evicted people in Batadrava, the chief minister said, "There's no policy to give water to evicted people. They broke the law by occupying land, so we can't hold camps for them. It's the job of the NGOs." (PTI)