Eviction Notices Issued in Assam's Jogighopa, Families Gripped by Fear

Panic has spread across several villages in Assam's Jogighopa after the district administration served eviction notices to hundreds of families residing on government land, setting a deadline of January 23 for them to dismantle their homes or face demolition.

The notices have been issued by the Boitamari Revenue Circle office in Bongaigaon district as part of a proposed large-scale eviction drive. Officials have asked residents occupying government land to vacate their houses within the stipulated period, warning that bulldozers will be deployed if the deadline is not met.

According to sources, nearly 879 families have been living for years on approximately 688 bighas of government land in the Jogighopa area. In Kariya Pahar village alone, about 383 families occupy nearly 320 bighas, while in Bhoralkundi Beel, 496 families have built homes on around 368 bighas. Similar notices have also been served in Konora Beel and Dalani Beel, indicating that the eviction drive may cover close to 1,500 bighas in total.

The issuance of the notices has triggered widespread anxiety among residents of Korea Pahar and Bharalkundi Beel, where people say uncertainty and fear now dominate daily life. Many families claim they have lived in these settlements for decades and have no alternative shelter.

While residents said they do not oppose the government’s right to reclaim public land, they have appealed for the operation to be deferred. Their primary concern is the timing. With the matriculation and higher secondary examinations approaching and winter conditions worsening, families fear that eviction at this stage will leave children homeless at a crucial academic moment.

“Displacing students now will deprive them of the chance to appear for the most important examinations of their lives,” said one resident. “This will destroy their future.”

They have further urged the government to reconsider the schedule of the eviction drive, arguing that the immediate humanitarian consequences, particularly for school-going children and elderly residents could be severe in the current cold weather.

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