The eviction drive at Amchang wildlife sanctuary on the outskirts of Guwahati, which was suspended by the State government on humanitarian ground, will resume in February next.
Sources said the Assam government has submitted an affidavit at the Gauhati High Court in this regard.
The government will carry out the eviction drive in February to free the wildlife sanctuary from encroachment, government stated in the affidavit filed at the High Court.
The Gauhati High Court suspended the eviction drive at Amchang on November 30 following a plea by the Assam government, citing humanitarian grounds.
According to Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal’s directions, senior additional advocate-general of Assam Devajit Saikia pleaded before a division bench of Chief Justice Ajit Singh and Justice Manojit Bhuyan to suspend the eviction drive, which was being carried out according to a High Court order.
The State Government made the plea following demands of rehabilitation, and protests against the “inhuman” way that the eviction was being carried out.
The High Court had allowed the plea and asked the State government to file an affidavit on this matter.
700 families have been evicted from the Amchang Wildlife Sanctuary in Assam since November 27.
Settlers were evicted from places like Botaghuli, Nabajyoti Nagar, Kangkan Nagar and Yousuf Nagar, which authorities claim are located inside the wildlife sanctuary. The Gauhati High Court had issued the eviction order in 2013.