Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Monday night that the order of the Guwahati High Court is a “historic seal” on the efforts of the government. The court went a step further and asked the government to set up a strong monitoring mechanism to prevent illegal encroachment on forest land. Sarma said that the government took several clearance actions, but no action was taken against those officials during whose tenure the encroachment took place.
Accountability of officials ensured
The Chief Minister said that the Chief Justice made it clear that clearance from forest land should be done under strict rules and action should be taken against the officials responsible at the time of encroachment. Sarma gave an example that large-scale encroachment took place between 2006 and 2011, and the forest officer of that time in Goalpara has now become a lawyer. Under this order, the government will now be able to hold the officials accountable in any case.
Duration of clearance notice extended
The High Court directed to increase the period of clearance notice from 7 days to 15 days. Apart from this, it was also made mandatory to recognize the claims of ownership of revenue land. Sarma said that though the order is specifically for 75 persons in Uriyamghat, it has set an important precedent. Now the government will be able to take action to remove people from encroached land by giving a 15-day notice in any case.
Security and surveillance of border areas
The division bench suggested that fragile boundaries of forest areas be fenced with barbed wire and functional check posts be set up to prevent illegal entry. The bench said that this will be effective only if the concerned officials perform their duties honestly and effectively. If illegal entry is found, punitive action should be taken against them.
Political approach of the government and thanks
The Chief Minister targeted the Congress and said that the opposition was trying to make the issue political. He said that the Congress has been repeatedly claiming that this land will be returned if it comes to power, but the High Court order has ended this possibility. Thanking the Guwahati High Court, Sarma said that this decision has further strengthened the resolve of the government to free the forest land from encroachment.
