Hailakandi Forest Evictions Free 912 Acres, Assam CM Says

Overview

• The drive targets alleged encroachments across roughly 2,800 bighas in the Inner Line Reserved Forest near the Mizoram border, with work scheduled through February 4.
• The Forest Department identified 516 houses for removal and reported about 50% cleared by Day 2, with several occupants leaving voluntarily as officials described the process as peaceful.
• Eviction notices were issued about a month earlier and, after a Gauhati High Court window of ten days to present claims, documents submitted by residents were not accepted as valid.
• Authorities cite bans on non-forest commercial activity such as betel nut, tea, coffee and rubber plantations under the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, as the legal basis for the clearances.
• The administration deployed over 1,500 police and paramilitary personnel and around 150 bulldozers, imposed Section 163 restrictions until February 5, and closed schools in the affected clusters, while a local social worker’s residency claims and an MLA’s allegations of selective targeting and calls for rehabilitation remain contested.