As part of the ongoing efforts to remove encroachments of government and public lands, the Assam government on Thursday conducted an eviction drive in 3 places in Lakhimpur district. Over 300 houses belonging to Muslim families were demolished days after notices were issued to the people living in Village Grazing Reserve areas in the district.
The areas where eviction took place are Christian Grazing, Debera Grazing and Phukanarhat Grazing, where people had encroached upon land reserved to grazing. Notices were issued to over 300 families under Sections 18(2) and 18(3) of the Patta Rules of the Assam Land and Revenue Act before the eviction. People living there had already left the area with their belongings after receiving the notice from the revenue officer.
The encroachers have been living in the grazing reserve areas for around 300 years. They had built mosques, Eidgah grounds and schools in the area.
Notably, the eviction took place just days after an incident of finding three heads of cows near a Namghar (Vaishnav prayer hall) in a nearby village on 17th June. Seven Muslims were arrested for the incident, after which the locals demanded the removal of encroachers from the grazing land.
