Raking up the matter of encroachment in forest reserve areas, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has said that alleged illegal settlers in Lumding Reserve Forest had come for ginger farming in a huge tract inside it and were brought by three big traders.
The Chief Minister has vowed to bring out a white paper to combat the alleged encroachment.
“Have to recover forest land,” Sarma reportedly said.
The Opposition has, however, questioned the ‘intent’ of the Bharatiya Janata Party government in the state, triggering a fresh political debate over the matter.
The development comes close on the heels of a bloody clash during an eviction drive in Darrang.
Sarma had last month that the state “wishes to clean” the Lumding Reserve Forest of alleged encroachers. However, the government has taken an “amicable approach through dialogue” to encourage them to leave on their own, he said.
“After Gorukhuti, we need to clean Lumding forest, but we are talking amicably so that it can happen through a proper discussion. I met most of the minority leaders and told them that if police go in and even if there is a small incident, then people in the world, particularly my left friends, will exaggerate it,” Sarma said on October 29.
At least two persons were killed in police firing while nearly two dozen were injured during the controversial push by the state government to weed out “illegal settlers” in Gorukhuti’s Dhalpur village of Darrang district in September.
The CM has also appealed to the ‘settlers’ living in the Reserve Forest to vacate the place, and expressed joy that 150-odd families have already left.
“The Hon’ble Gauhati High Court has passed an order for eviction. So, I met various minority student organisations. I have explained to them the Gauhati High Court order, and (asked them to) kindly explain it to the people. We have to comply with the High Court order. But before eviction, I am meeting people… We came to know that they had come for ginger farming inside a huge area in the forest and they were backed by 3-4 big traders. We are coming to know these facts now,” Sarma said.
