Guwahati, Feb 15 (IANS) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday alleged that decades of Congress rule in the state led to large-scale encroachment of forest land and asserted that his government has put a “full stop” to the practice through sustained eviction and reclamation drives.

In a post on social media platform X, Sarma claimed that the Congress party allowed encroachments to flourish across Assam’s forest areas over several decades, resulting in the illegal occupation of more than 2.87 lakh hectares of forest land.

He said the situation remained largely unchecked until the present BJP-led “double engine government” initiated a systematic campaign to identify, evict, and reclaim encroached forest land.

“For decades, the Congress party allowed encroachments in Assam’s forests. They permitted over 2.87 lakh hectares to be encroached upon until the double engine government decided to put a full stop,” Sarma said in his post.

The Chief Minister said that since the launch of eviction and reclamation drives, the state government has recovered over 20,000 hectares of forest land, describing it as a major step towards environmental protection and enforcement of law.

He asserted that the government remains committed to reclaiming all encroached forest land and preventing further illegal occupation in protected and reserved areas.

Sarma said forest encroachments not only damaged Assam’s fragile ecological balance but also led to illegal activities in forested regions, posing threats to wildlife habitats and contributing to environmental degradation.

He added that the government’s actions are aimed at restoring forest land, protecting biodiversity, and ensuring sustainable environmental management in the state.

The Chief Minister has repeatedly defended eviction drives carried out in forest and protected areas, stating that these operations are conducted strictly in accordance with legal provisions and in the larger public interest.

He has also maintained that genuine landless indigenous people are being supported through rehabilitation and resettlement measures, while illegal encroachments will continue to face strict action.

Sarma said the ongoing effort to reclaim forest land forms part of the government’s broader vision to preserve Assam’s natural heritage and ecological security for future generations.

“The mission to reclaim every bit of our land continues,” he said.

The issue of forest land encroachment remains politically sensitive in Assam, with opposition parties criticising eviction drives over humanitarian and livelihood concerns, while the ruling BJP has defended the measures as necessary for environmental conservation and lawful governance.

–IANS

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