The process to clear the tea bushes from the areas meant for the construction of the proposed Greenfield airport in Silchar continued for the second day. The decision was taken by the state government amidst stiff opposition by the labourers of Dolo Tea Estate, swelling protests and their earnest plea, haplessly begging to halt the process of eviction.
Over 100 bulldozers were seen in action uprooting the tea bushes in the presence of a thick security cover and officials of Cachar district administration.
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According to reports, over three million plants will be uprooted to construct the Greenfield airport for which a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on March 7 between the authorities of the Doloo Tea Company and three registered trade unions at the Doloo tea estate representing the workers of the garden viz Barak Cha Shramik Union, Akhil Bharatiya Cha Mazdoor Sangh and Barak Valley Cha Mazdoor Sangh.
It may be mentioned that Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma during his visit ti Silchar in January this year said that Silchar will get a new airport which is among the forthcoming major projects which would be approved in the next 2-3 weeks.
The hurdles on the way for development of Barak Valley lie here itself. People of this region must co-operate with the Government for the major projects to finish within estimated timeline. With regard to setting up of the new airport, which is demanded by the people here, we shall see that in obtaining the land, no one loses their livelihood.
Meanwhile, a large contingent of police and CRPF force was deployed at the Lalbagh division of the tea garden, the site of the garden where the airport will be constructed to prevent the protesting labourers from entering the area and began the process of uprooting the bushes. Special DGP (Law and Order) GP Singh and Cachar SP Ramandeep Kaur were seen leading the police troops to prevent any untoward incident.
However, there was no problematic incident reported so far from the area in which the uprooting process is underway.
