Around 60 families who had allegedly occupied government land illegally along the Brahmaputra riverbank in Assam's Dibrugarh district for several years were evicted by the district administration on Monday, reports said.
The eviction drive was conducted in the Maijan area following an order from the District and Sessions Court, Dibrugarh, after notices were served to the occupants.
As per reports, the families were found to be living in around nine bighas of government land on the riverbank, with some having even constructed permanent RCC houses.
During the drive, many affected residents said that they had purchased the land from middlemen after being assured that the plots were legally approved.
Several families alleged that they had paid amounts ranging from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 3 lakh to land brokers, only to later discover that the land belonged to the government.
A strong police contingent was deployed at the sites as a precautionary measure to maintain law and order.
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However, the eviction process was completed peacefully, with residents removing their belongings before the structures were cleared using excavators.
Dibrugarh East Revenue Circle Officer Samujjwal Borah said that adequate security arrangements were made considering the scale of the operation, and the cooperation of residents ensured that the eviction proceeded without any untoward incident.
Following the eviction drive, affected residents urged authorities to investigate the role of alleged illegal brokers, claiming that their families had been deceived into purchasing government land.