Guwahati, Nov. 13 -- Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma reiterated that his government was steadfast in freeing encroached lands from infiltrators and restoring them to the indigenous people. He said that due to rampant encroachment, ethnic and tribal communities in Goalpara and Kamrup districts had lost 'both their political and economic rights'.

"The indigenous people are the true custodians of Assam's 'Jaati, Maati and Bheti' (nationality, land and the foundation of the state). It is our solemn pledge to ensure justice, dignity and empowerment for every community, who have nurtured these lands for generations," Sarma said after handing over land title certificates under the Forest Rights Act, 2006, to 4,673 tribal families at Ch...