Encroachers from Bihar and Bengal may be infiltrators, says Assam CM

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday flagged serious concerns over encroachment of government, forest, and protected lands across the state, alleging that individuals claiming to be from Bihar and West Bengal may, in fact, be illegal infiltrators from across the international border.

Speaking to reporters after visiting eviction sites in Uriamghat under Golaghat district, Sarma said a review of the encroachers' details revealed a mix of residents not only from various districts of Assam—such as Cachar, Sribhumi, Dhubri, Hojai, Nagaon, and Morigaon—but also from outside the state.

“When we went through the list of encroachers, we found that many have claimed to be from Bihar and West Bengal. But we suspect that some of them could be from across the border,” he said, without naming a specific country. Sarma added that names and addresses of these individuals will be shared with concerned authorities in the states they claim to be from to verify their antecedents. “If they are genuine residents of those states, we have no issue. But if they are not, it becomes a larger matter of concern,” he added.

The Chief Minister confirmed that notices have already been issued for eviction in Uriamghat and Neghribil areas, where large tracts of forest and government land—allegedly hundreds of bighas—have been encroached upon. He said that around 70 per cent of the encroachers have already vacated voluntarily and the rest are expected to leave soon.

Also Read: Encroachers have grabbed 300–400 bighas each: Himanta says Uriamghat eviction drive lawful

“Government cannot be a mute spectator. We must act. People here have told us how these encroachments were also hubs of drug use, theft, and other unlawful activities. Now, there is an opportunity to rebuild the area with a positive outlook,” Sarma said, urging locals to take part in business and community development after the land is cleared.

The CM confirmed that two key suspects believed to be involved in aiding and orchestrating the encroachments have been arrested. He reiterated the state’s resolve to continue phased eviction drives across Assam, including on forest land, grazing land (PGR/VGR), and religious land like Satras, while ensuring all legal safeguards are in place. “Our focus is lawful and organised action, not emotional decisions. We are involving legal representatives and targeting areas where our claims are strong,” he said.

Asked about cooperation from neighbouring Nagaland, Sarma said the only concern the Nagaland government has is to ensure evicted people don’t spill over into their state. “Whenever I have spoken to them, they’ve extended full cooperation,” he added.

Sarma also revealed that many residents from different parts of Assam have reached out to him on social media, demanding similar action against encroachment in their localities. “People must also be vigilant to ensure no new encroachments happen,” he advised.

Highlighting the scale of the issue, Sarma said that while 1.29 lakh bighas of land have already been cleared in the last four years, nearly 29 lakh bighas still remain under encroachment. He claimed many of these lands are occupied by “illegal Bangladeshis and doubtful citizens” and hinted at international pressure to halt such eviction exercises following the Gorukhuti operation in Darrang district.

“We don’t want the narrative to be that Assam is only doing evictions. That’s why we are taking a calibrated and legal approach to ensure no roadblocks emerge in court,” the Chief Minister concluded.