State Industries Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary on Sunday said that Dispur is not going to spare the industries that have allegedly encroached upon forest land at Amchang and other reserve forests in the State.
He said that eviction of industries on forest land is a must.
Meanwhile, State Forest Minister Pramila Rani Brahma said, “The landless families evicted from Amchang will be rehabilitated. However, many big politicians have land in the reserve forest with patta. This has to be investigated.”
About 5-sq km of Amchang’s 78.64-sq km area is reportedly under encroachment by an estimated 3, 418 people belonging to 864 families.
Over the last couple of days, over 400 residential structures including schools buildings have been demolished, triggering protests across the state against the eviction drive.
Even though the eviction was suspended following instruction from the Gauhati High Court, the demolition of commercial establishments within the boundary of Amchang, however, continued.
Kamrup (Metro) deputy commissioner M Angamuthu had said buildings of a cement factory and a coke industry, which extended into the Jorabat area beyond the Amchang boundary, were pulled down by the administration and forest department.