Overview
- Justices PS Narasimha and Alok Aradhe upheld Assam’s procedure as fair and lawful, directing status quo until reasoned orders are issued and the 15‑day period expires.
- A joint committee of forest and revenue officials will issue notices, hear evidence, decide forest versus revenue status, pass speaking orders, and then allow 15 days to vacate; revenue cases will be referred to revenue authorities.
- Assam told the court that 3,62,082 hectares (about 19.92% of the state’s forest area) are encroached, while the chief minister separately cited 2,676 sq km and estimated 26–27 lakh bighas under occupation.
- The government is constituting district‑level panels chaired by district commissioners to implement the process, and says more than 1.25 lakh bighas have already been cleared with eligible indigenous claims to be regularised under the Forest Rights Act.
- Officials say eviction drives will resume under the new safeguards, as critics warn of disproportionate impacts on some communities and recall prior unrest, including a fatal Goalpara clash.