Eviction drive in Jorhat targets alleged encroachments on public land
A crowd attempted to resist but security forces swiftly brought the situation under control
A backhoe loader in action on Kabaristan Road, Jorhat. (AT Photo)
Jorhat, June 3: The Jorhat district administration, accompanied by police and CRPF personnel, carried out an eviction drive on Tuesday, razing residential and commercial structures allegedly built on government land.
As Jorhat Municipality Board officials arrived with backhoe loaders to carry out the drive on Kabaristan Road, a visibly emotional crowd gathered at the site. Some tried to resist the demolition but the situation was swiftly brought under control by the law enforcement.
Speaking to the press, the Board asserted that the eviction was not arbitrary. “This action is not connected to any personal feud or political rivalry," an executive member of the board told the press.
He asserted that the drive has the municipal general assembly’s nod and is carried out strictly as per legal protocols.
At the centre of the drive was the residence of Azad Chowdhury, whom some have accused of being a Bangladesh national.
Chowdhury has long faced allegations of illegally occupying government land in the area. The eviction follows weeks of rising tensions, including a recent protest by the Bir Lachit Sena, a local civil body.
“Notices were served to Chowdhury in 2016, 2020, and most recently earlier this year,” said a Board official. “He was asked to vacate the land but failed to comply. His claim that he leased the property is unfounded — we have no official records supporting it.”
Chowdhury, however, strongly denied the administration’s claims. “This land was leased to me in 2014. I paid around ₹20,000 annually as lease rent under a municipal policy. I possess 14 lessa of land here and have submitted documents signed by 19 ward commissioners,” he said. He added that the municipality had not collected rent in recent years due to court cases involving third-party claimants.
“Had I received a properly dated eviction notice, I would have made arrangements. The demolition has destroyed everything we built,” he said.
While pledging full cooperation with the authorities, Chowdhury suggested there might be a political motive behind the selective eviction. “This isn’t just the work of the municipality. The order must have come from higher up,” he said.