Assam Govt’s Big Move: Clearing Encroached Land in Goalpara

So the Assam government’s at it again—this time with bulldozers rolling into Goalpara district to reclaim land that’s been illegally occupied. And let me tell you, it’s causing quite the stir. On one hand, you’ve got officials calling it a necessary step for development. On the other? Hundreds of families staring at homelessness. Classic case of good intentions meeting messy reality.

Why Goalpara? The Backstory

Land grabbing here isn’t some new trend. My uncle who worked in the revenue department used to say—back in the 90s—that you could spot new huts popping up overnight in government forest areas. Fast forward thirty years, and it’s turned into a proper crisis. Previous governments tried clearing encroachments too, but always half-heartedly. Paper notices, some token demolitions, then radio silence till next election season.

This time feels different though. More… systematic. Or maybe just more televised.

What’s Actually Happening on Ground

CM Himanta Biswa Sarma means business. Hundreds of structures marked, police cordons, the whole drill. They’re targeting areas that were never meant for settlements—forest reserves, government land meant for schools or roads. The official line? “We’ve got court orders and satellite images proving these are illegal.”

Spoke to a local official who didn’t want his name in print (obviously). His take: “Look, either we enforce the law now or watch entire forests turn into slums.” Can’t argue with that logic—but then you see kids carrying their school bags past bulldozers, and the whole thing gets complicated.

Why the Government’s Pushing Hard

Three big reasons they’re giving:

• Forest cover’s disappearing faster than mom’s biryani at a family function
• Can’t build roads/hospitals if land’s occupied
• Courts have been breathing down their necks about encroachments

There’s data floating around showing 20% of protected forest land in Goalpara’s been eaten up. That’s insane when you think about it. Like someone slowly nibbling at the edges of a roti till half of it’s gone.

The Human Cost No One Wants to Talk About

Here’s where it gets ugly. Met a family near Krishnai who’d been living on that land for 12 years—kids born there, everything. Now? Tents by the highway. The government says “they knew it was illegal,” but let’s be real—when you’re desperate for shelter, legal technicalities don’t exactly top your worry list.

NGOs are screaming about lack of rehabilitation. Government’s response? “We’ll arrange something.” Classic Indian administrative limbo.

Political Football Match Begins

BJP’s calling it bold governance. Opposition’s crying human rights violation. Twitter’s on fire with #AssamLandDrive—half the tweets supporting “law and order,” other half sharing heartbreaking eviction videos. Honestly? Both sides have points. That’s what makes this so damn tricky.

Seen This Movie Before

Remember the Delhi slum demolitions last year? Or Bangalore clearing lake encroachments? Same story every time—bulldozers roll in, courts approve, people suffer, then we all forget till next season. Only difference is Assam’s doing it at scale.

What Comes Next?

Government’s talking fancy about GIS mapping and digital land records. Good ideas, sure. But here’s the thing—unless they fix why people encroach in the first place (sky-high land prices, pathetic rural employment), this is just treating symptoms.

Bottom Line

Nobody’s entirely wrong here. Land laws need enforcing. But doing it without proper rehab? That’s just creating different problems. What Assam needs—what all of India needs—is to stop swinging between total lawlessness and heartless enforcement. There’s got to be a middle path.

Anyway, that’s my take. What’s yours? Hit me up on Twitter—we’ll argue about it over virtual chai.

Want to Dig Deeper?

• CM’s full statement (prepare for political speeches)
• Ground report from local journalist (actual human stories)
• That forest department PDF nobody will read

Source: Hindustan Times – India News