3 months ago
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Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma connected Wednesday (February 11, 2026) termed the Supreme Court’s judgement allowing the State to transportation retired evictions successful reserved wood areas aft clearance by a specially constituted committee arsenic "landmark", saying it volition streamline anti-encroachment drives.
He said implicit 1.25 lakh bighas of wood onshore person been cleared of encroachments, with different 20 bighas inactive nether amerciable occupation.
"This is simply a landmark judgement successful the past of our wood department…The State authorities has won a historical lawsuit which gives it the afloat close to evict successful wood land. The apex tribunal adjacent said that if the wood comes nether panchayat areas, it cannot beryllium an excuse for not evicting," Mr. Sarma said astatine a property league here.
The Supreme Court had connected Tuesday (February 10, 2026) allowed the Assam authorities to represent a committee of wood and gross officials to look into unauthorised occupants successful the Doyang reserved wood and its adjoining villages successful Golaghat district, observing that forests represent 1 of the astir captious earthy resources of the nation.
A Bench of Justices P.S. Narasimha and Alok Aradhe said the committee volition contented notices to the alleged unauthorised occupants and springiness them an accidental to adduce grounds to amusement that they person the close to inhabit the onshore which is successful their possession.
It said that if an unauthorised concern is recovered successful a reserve wood area, a speaking bid shall beryllium passed and served connected the idiosyncratic concerned, giving him 15 days' announcement to vacate the unauthorised occupation.
The CM said the petition, which was disposed of by the apex court, was a hurdle for Assam arsenic "evictions were stayed by tribunal orders successful immoderate pockets and uncertainty prevailed".
"The eviction process volition beryllium streamlined now," helium added.
Mr. Sarma claimed that a full of 1,25,326 bighas of wood onshore person been cleared of encroachments successful the State truthful far.
Around 25-26 lakh bighas of wood onshore are inactive nether occupation, but it besides includes onshore successful possession of indigenous communities who volition beryllium fixed ‘forest patta’ nether applicable laws, helium said.
"If we are to exclude the onshore for which the eligible wood dwellers volition get rights, astir 20 lakh bighas are inactive nether encroachment," helium added.
The CM said the committee, arsenic directed by the Supreme Court, volition beryllium notified by Wednesday (February 11, 2026) evening, which volition instrumentality guardant the evictions arsenic per the judgment.
