Tourism master plan in works for Goalpara's Hasila, Urpad Beels: CM Sarma

Goalpara, June 24: Two days after the Cabinet approved the proposal to notify Hasila Beel, Urpad Beel as proposed reserve forest, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced that a tourism master plan in the works for the wetlands.

Reviewing the progress on-site on Tuesday, Sarma said that the transformation of Hasila and Uprad Beels into reserved forest areas is expected to take around three months. He also added that Kurmi Beel is also under active consideration for the same.

"These wetlands are crucial for maintaining ecological balance and can become a hub for sustainable tourism. A master plan will be developed by the Tourism Department to ensure that development and conservation goes hand-in-hand", said Sarma.

Speaking about the recent eviction at Hasila Beel, Sarma said that every single illegal settler would be evicted and if necessary, even miyadi patta (land lease holders) may face eviction.

“Our goal is to free Hasila Beel. We will use satellite images to verify who settled there and when. The truth is, many were shifted there in the past under different pretexts. We will make preparations for them to return to where they originally came from,” Sarma clarified.

The Chief Minister also claimed that of these illegal settlers have done so under the influence of political manipulation and not with malicious intent.

“Politicians have lured these settlers in the name of votes and amenities. They were promised better lives. But now we have to correct course,” he said.

The eviction drive at Hasila Beel, however, was the first phase and Sarma had said on June 19 that the next phase of the eviction drive is being planned at Rakhyasini Pahar in the Matia sub-division of the district.

“In areas like Rakhyasini, where some long-term and newer settlements co-exist, the government is conducting assessments and may take 30–45 days to reach a decision on further action,” he said.

The eviction drive at Hasila, however, drew sharp criticism from the Opposition, particularly the Congress.

On June 19, a nine-member Congress delegation visited the eviction site at Hasila Beel and slammed the drive, calling it not only unjust but also “unlawful.”

During the visit, Congress leader Rekibuddin Ahmed said the eviction had rendered over 700 families—more than 4,000 people—homeless. He described the situation as a full-blown humanitarian crisis.