Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has alleged that nearly 10 lakh acres of state land remain under encroachment by “illegal Bangladeshis and doubtful citizens”, and reaffirmed his government’s intention to reclaim the land “inch by inch” through sustained eviction drives.
The assertion was made during a public function at Gorukhuti in Darrang district, where Sarma marked the fourth anniversary of the Gorukhuti Multipurpose Agriculture Project. The initiative, launched in the aftermath of a widely criticised eviction drive in 2021, has remained a political and social flashpoint.
The 2021 operation saw more than 25,500 acres, equivalent to over 77,000 bighas, of land being cleared, largely in Bengali-speaking Muslim-dominated areas. Two persons, including a 12-year-old boy, died in police firing during the eviction, prompting widespread condemnation from human rights organisations and opposition parties.
“After the successful eviction here, we were emboldened to undertake similar drives across the state. In the last four years, we have cleared 1.29 lakh bighas (around 43,000 acres) of land from encroachers. Much of this land is being reclaimed for afforestation and public use,” said Sarma, defending the continued operation.
The chief minister claimed that resistance to the evictions, particularly at the international level, had not shaken the administration’s commitment. “We have taken a pledge to clear every inch of our land from encroachers. As of now, 29 lakh bighas, or nearly 10 lakh acres, are still encroached,” Sarma said.
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The Gorukhuti project, now a showpiece of the government’s land recovery efforts, stands on land cleared during the contentious 2021 eviction. Sarma cited the transformation of this area as proof of the state’s vision. “Today, the land in Gorukhuti, once occupied illegally, has been converted into productive agricultural fields. This is the model we aim to replicate across encroached areas in Assam,” he said.
Sarma also stated that the state’s land policy prioritised protection of Assamese demography and sustainable development. He said the identification and removal of encroachments, particularly involving “suspected Bangladeshis,” would remain a key government objective.
“Encroachment is not only a land issue, but one of security and demography,” Sarma added. “We will not allow any pressure, political, international or social, to derail our commitment.”
The government maintains that its efforts are rooted in constitutional authority and aimed at restoring public land for broader welfare. However, critics argue the evictions disproportionately affect minority communities, leading to widespread displacement and economic hardship.
While many of the affected families were left without immediate rehabilitation or compensation, the administration has continued to describe the operations as part of a long-term vision to reclaim what it calls “illegally held” land and put it to productive use.
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