Massive Eviction Drive Due on Tribal Belts in BTC

The Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) is all set to evict encroachers from the tribal belts and blocks within the BTR. The new BTC council has asked the Circle Officers concerned to provide details of the costs and logistic support for the eviction drive.

The proposed eviction drive comes after a PIL has been filed at Gauhati High Court by Pradyut Kumar Bora saying that there have been massive encroachments of lands in the tribal belts and blocks in the BTR.

It may be mentioned that the High Court on December, 2019 has asked the state government to make the tribal belts and blocks with BTR be made free from encroachers. The order was however couldn't be carried due to the COVID-19 pandemic followed by the BTC election.

After a lapse of more than a year, the BTC Secretary has now ordered the circle officers of Kokrajhar, Gossaigaon, Dotoma, Tamulpur, Mazbat to treat the matter earnestly. According to official records, 3.89 lakh bighas of land in tribal belts and blocks in the BTR are under the encroachment of 1.01 lakh people. As much as 54,798 bighas of land out of the 3.89 lakh bighas is under the occupation of people of non-protected class. However, the 'Northeast Heritage Foundation' has said that only 4.50 lakh bighas of land have been encroached upon in the tribal belts and blocks across the BTR; and not 3.89 lakh bighas.