Dhubri: Notices served to 1,000 families over alleged encroachment of 1,500 bighas of khas land

Anxiety has gripped nearly 1,000 families in Assam's Dhubri district after the district administration issued show-cause notices over the alleged encroachment of around 1,500 bighas of government khas land in the Alamganj area.

The notices, issued under Rule 18(2) of the Assam Land and Revenue Regulation, 1886, pertain to the alleged unauthorised occupation of government land and initiate the legal process for its verification and possible eviction.

The action covers residents of Alamganj Part-7 and Part-9 villages under the Gauripur Assembly constituency. The administration has directed all occupants to produce valid land ownership documents within 15 days from the date of the notice.

Officials said that any representation or documentary evidence submitted within the stipulated period will be examined, and further action will be taken strictly in accordance with the law.

The notices have triggered widespread concern among affected families, many of whom claim they were displaced by severe Brahmaputra riverbank erosion in the char areas of neighbouring South Salmara-Mankachar district. According to local residents, they settled on the government land after losing their homes and agricultural fields to erosion over the years.

Many families fear they may not be able to establish their claims, as records relating to their original landholdings are either unavailable or cannot be readily verified through local Gram Panchayat offices.

With the 15-day deadline now in effect, uncertainty prevails across the affected villages as residents prepare to submit documents and await the administration's decision on their future.

The district administration has maintained that all cases will be considered on their individual merits and disposed of in accordance with the provisions of the law.