Has the Gauhati HC Stopped the Uriamghat Eviction Drive Until Aug 14?

Guwahati, Aug 5 (NationPress) The Gauhati High Court has issued a temporary suspension of the current eviction operation in Uriamghat, situated within the Rengma Reserve Forest of Assam’s Golaghat district, providing relief to more than 75 inhabitants who have questioned the legality of these actions.

A Division Bench, headed by the Chief Justice, delivered the interim ruling on Tuesday in response to several petitions that challenged the legal standing of the land and the procedures employed by the authorities.

The petitioners contended that the contested area has not been officially designated as either forest or revenue land and that they have been residing there for numerous years.

Moreover, the residents asserted that various government welfare initiatives—such as the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), electricity connections, and other civic services—have been made available in their area, suggesting official acknowledgment of their habitation.

Recognizing these assertions, the High Court instructed the Assam government to submit a comprehensive affidavit by August 14, detailing the legal classification of the land and the actions undertaken concerning the eviction.

Additionally, the court requested the petitioners to provide documentation supporting their claims of lawful land allocation and long-term residency. This follows the court's prior extension of the eviction compliance deadline to August 7, offering temporary relief to the residents.

Speaking to the media, Advocate A.R. Bhuyan, representing the petitioners, stated, “Our position is that no appropriate demarcation has been performed, rendering any eviction process legally dubious. The residents received merely a seven-day notice without the chance to defend their case.”

He further mentioned that the petitioners have now submitted all relevant documents to the court, which has arranged the next hearing for August 14. The Bench has requested a detailed chargesheet to be submitted, including evidence of government allotments where applicable.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma previously noted that the initial phase of the eviction initiative in Uriamghat had concluded, with over 1,200 hectares of land reclaimed from illegal occupation.

Sarma remarked, "Phase I of the eviction initiative in Uriamghat is complete, during which we reclaimed more than 1200 hectares of land in the Rengma Reserve Forest."

The Chief Minister also cautioned that the eviction efforts would persist statewide to eradicate illegal encroachments.

"This drive will continue throughout the state to reclaim every inch of land that rightly belongs to the people of Assam," CM Sarma emphasized.

The state administration in Assam's Golaghat district initiated a large-scale eviction campaign in the previous week.

As part of this eviction exercise, nearly 2,000 families accused of encroaching upon forest land in the Rengma Reserve Forest within the Sarupathar sub-division of the Golaghat district were required to vacate the forest area.