The Gauhati High Court on September 14 directed the state authorities to apprise the Court of the action taken towards eviction as per the plan of action submitted before the High Court for clearance of encroached land in Lumding Reserve Forest.
The Division Bench of Justice N. Kotiswar Singh and Justice Manish Choudhury heard a PIL filed by Shiladitya Dev seeking a direction to be issued to the respondent authorities for taking necessary actions for clearance of encroached land, including the eviction, in the Lumding Reserve Forest. It has been stated that large forest areas have been encroached upon by unauthorised persons from various places.
In this regard, the State Government also has filed an affidavit, which has acknowledged the existence of such a large area of forest land being encroached upon to the extent of 1.10 hectares of land under the Lumding Reserve Forest.
It has been also submitted that considering such encroachment, the State authorities have prepared a plan of eviction which they intend to implement in a phase wise manner during the months of October 2021 to February 2022.
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P.N. Goswami, Additional Advocate General (AAG), Assam, appearing for the State respondent submitted that the State Government is seized of the matter and proposing to take concrete actions.
In the action plan prepared by the State authority under the first phase of eviction, which will last for 5 days, it will be undertaken during October 2021 to November 2021 and in 2nd phase, which will last for 4 days, it will be undertaken during November 2021 to December 2021 and under the 3rd phase which will last for 5 days, will be conducted during January 2022 to February 2022 , informed the AAG.
“In that view of the matter, let the matter be listed in the 1st week of November, 2021 and the State authorities will apprise this Court of the action so taken towards eviction as per the plan of action submitted before this Court,”
-the order reads.