Guwahati, Aug. 17 -- The Assam government today carried out a large-scale eviction drive in Biswanath district, clearing nearly 175 bighas (about 23 hectares) of land from the Japariguri Village Grazing Reserve (VGR).
According to district officials, around 309 families had been living on the reserve land, and were served eviction notices on August 1, giving them 15 days to vacate.
"The eviction drive is going on peacefully. Most families left on their own and dismantled their homes. We have demolished the remaining structures," District Commissioner Simanta Kumar Das told reporters.
The operation, which began at dawn, involved nearly 600 security personnel, 20 excavators and several tractors. A tea garden that had sprung up in the encr...