Dhubri eviction of five families halted after Congress MLA objects

An eviction drive at Adabari in Assam's Dhubri district was stopped after local Congress MLA Baby Begum opposed the demolition of five houses, The Times of India reported on Tuesday.

What the MLA said

Baby Begum said she would not allow families to be evicted "inhumanely" and that no eviction should be carried out without compensation and proper rehabilitation for those affected.

The legislator alleged procedural irregularities. She claimed a case over the land was still pending in court and that the families had received notices only a day before the demolition was scheduled.

"When a case is still pending in court, how can the administration suddenly issue notices and arrive to demolish houses? Landless people must be provided land before any such action is taken," she said.

The administration's side

A source in the circle office gave a different account. According to the source, the High Court has already disposed of a dispute over the land. After the verdict went in favour of an institution, a team from the circle office went to evict the five families living on the khas (government) land.

No official statement from the district administration on the halted drive was available, and it is not yet clear when or whether the eviction will be attempted again. NEInsider could not independently confirm the status of the court case.

The wider context

Eviction is a politically charged issue in Assam. The state government has carried out a series of large drives across several districts against what it describes as encroachment on government and forest land. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said this week that over 1.45 lakh bighas of encroached forest land had been cleared so far and that drives would continue.

Opposition parties, including the Congress and the AIUDF, have accused the government of targeting poor and landless families and of not providing rehabilitation. The government says it is enforcing court orders and the law on public land.

The Adabari case is much smaller in scale, involving five houses, but it reflects the same tension between land-clearance orders and demands for compensation and resettlement of those living on the land.

What to watch

The key questions now are whether the High Court order cited by officials covers these five families, and whether the administration offers any rehabilitation before trying again. Both sides' claims are yet to be tested.