Former MLA Samarjit Haflongbar urges Assam CM to evict illegal encroachers from tribal belt in Hojai

Former Haflong MLA and former Chief Executive Member (CEM) of the North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council (NCHAC), Samarjit Haflongbar, has submitted a representation to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma seeking immediate eviction of alleged illegal encroachers from the Bordolong (Bardolong) Lanka Bhetapara Tribal Belt and Block in Hojai district.

In his representation, Haflongbar urged the state government to launch an eviction drive in the notified Tribal Belt and Block, which was established on February 1, 1950 under Chapter X of the Assam Land and Revenue Regulation, 1886. The protected area, spread across approximately 52,176 bighas, was created to safeguard the land rights of indigenous tribal communities, particularly the Dimasa community.

Haflongbar alleged that over the years, large portions of land within the protected area have been illegally occupied by individuals who are not entitled to own or hold land in the notified Tribal Belt and Block. He stated that the alleged encroachments have deprived many genuine tribal families of their ancestral land and undermined the objective for which the protected area was established.

Referring to the Assam government's eviction drives in other parts of the state, Haflongbar said similar action should be taken to protect lands notified under the Tribal Belt and Block system, which was instituted to preserve the rights of indigenous tribal communities.

The former legislator requested the Chief Minister to direct the Revenue Department and the Hojai district administration to conduct a comprehensive survey and verification of all land holdings within the Bordolong Lanka Bhetapara Tribal Belt and Block, identify illegal occupations, initiate eviction proceedings in accordance with the law, and restore the land to eligible tribal beneficiaries.

Haflongbar clarified that his appeal was not directed against any particular community but was aimed at ensuring enforcement of the law and protecting the constitutional and legal rights of indigenous tribal people. He stated that all citizens must adhere to the legal provisions governing Tribal Belts and Blocks and that illegal occupation of protected tribal land should not be allowed to continue.

Expressing hope for prompt government intervention, Haflongbar urged the state government to preserve the sanctity of the Bordolong Lanka Bhetapara Tribal Belt and Block and ensure justice for the tribal communities for whose benefit the protected area was originally established.