Assam Government has freed land over 1.19 lakh bighas from encroachers to restore public and ecological land, CM Himanta Biswa Sarma announced on Tuesday. The land which has been freed is belonged to the government, forest reserves and religious institutions.
Assam CM stated, “Assam has faced an existential threat due to rampant illegal infiltration and a planned encroachment to alter demography of districts. THIS FACES A MAJOR ROADBLOCK DUE TO OUR POLICIES.
Over 1.19 lakh bighas of land have been freed from encroachers in the State as we stand firm to protect the interests of Assam.”
The recovered land spans nearly 160 square kilometers and includes key districts such as Sonitpur, Lakhimpur, Darrang, Hojai, and Goalpara, where major eviction drives have conducted.
Assam Detailed Land Recovered
At a press conference, CM Sarma shared a breakdown of the reclaimed land:
- 84,743 bighas of forest land
- 3,643 bighas of Village Grazing Reserve (VGR) and Professional Grazing Reserve (PGR) land
- 26,713 bighas of government khas land
- 4,449 bighas belonging to satras, namghars, and temples
“These encroachments didn’t happen overnight,” the Chief Minister stated. “Reclaiming the land is a complex, long-term process requiring administrative diligence and political commitment. And even now, we’ve only just begun,” he added.
Assam District Wise Eviction
Highest Recovery of the Land
Sonitpur: 39,527.72 bighas
Lakhimpur: 13,481.54 bighas
Darrang: 17,905 bighas
Hojai: 10,749.60 bighas
Goalpara: 8,280.36 bighas
Sribhumi: 6,534.48 bighas
Dhubri: 4,748.25 bighas
Cachar: 3,291.91 bighas
Environmental Restoration and Wildlife Return
Sarma also addressed criticism from urban environmental activists. “When a few trees are cut in Guwahati, there’s uproar. But when we recover thousands of bighas of encroached forest land and begin reforestation, no one talks about it,” he said.
He added that the Burha Chapori and Poba Reserve areas are already witnessing the return of elephants, a strong indicator of ecological revival.
“Our Capitalists Are Elephants, Rhinos, and Tigers”
Refuting allegations that the eviction drives benefit private corporations, the Chief Minister firmly stated, “These efforts are not for industrialists. Our capitalists are the elephants, rhinos, and tigers — we’re reclaiming land for them.”
The state government’s ongoing eviction and restoration drives are expected to continue in the coming months, with a focus on balancing human development with environmental conservation and cultural heritage protection.