At least 1,000 families in Assam’s Dhubri district are uncertain about their future as the district administration has taken legal action over the alleged encroachment of around 1,500 bighas of government land in the Alamganj area. Show-cause notices have been issued to the occupants, asking them to justify their possession of the land under Rule 18(2) of the Assam Land and Revenue Regulation, 1886.
The affected families primarily belong to Alamganj Part-7 and Alamganj Part-9 villages in the Gauripur Assembly constituency. They have been instructed to provide valid ownership documents or relevant records within 15 days to support their claims. The administration emphasized that the process aims to verify if the occupants have a legitimate right to the land, with all submissions being carefully reviewed before any further steps are taken in line with the law.
The notices have caused anxiety among the families, many of whom had to move due to river erosion by the Brahmaputra river in the neighboring South Salmara-Mankachar district. Some residents mentioned settling on government land after displacement and now fear eviction if they cannot prove their claims. Difficulty in producing land-related documents has been highlighted, citing loss of records due to displacement and challenges in verifying original property details through local authorities.
With the deadline looming, uncertainty prevails in the villages as residents gather documents to respond to the notices. The district administration clarified that the process is a statutory verification and assured that each case will be assessed individually. Any potential eviction will only occur after a thorough examination of the evidence presented by the occupants and in compliance with legal provisions.
