Assam Govt to launch eviction drive in Goalpara’s Dahikata RF on November 9-10

The Assam government is moving ahead with its plan to evict encroachers from the Dahikata reserved forest in Goalpara district, following Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's directive. The eviction drive, which starts tomorrow, aims to reclaim 1,143 bighas of forest land.

The forest department had previously issued notices to encroachers, and many have already begun dismantling their homes and shifting elsewhere after the CM's announcement on social media. The eviction site is heavily guarded by police and Black Commandos, anticipating possible resistance.

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The move has sparked mixed reactions on social media, with some viewing it as a diversion from the investigation into Zubeen Garg's untimely death, while others welcome the government's action. CM Himanta Biswa Sarma addressed the issue on Facebook Live. He said, “Perhaps many people thought that eviction drive will stop in Assam as so much of pressure has been created on the CM. But sorry to disappoint you, I won’t let anyone Assam to convert into Nepal.”

The eviction drive is part of the government's efforts to address human-elephant conflict in the area, with the Goalpara Divisional Forest Officer emphasizing the need to revive the forest as an elephant habitat.