Hundreds of illegal structures razed in Cachar eviction drive

Silchar: Cachar district administration on Friday carried out a massive eviction drive in the Arkatipur and Dayapur areas of Udharbond, demolishing hundreds of structures allegedly erected illegally along the proposed alignment of the Bharatmala Project road.The operation, which began early in the morning, involved more than 20 bulldozers and was backed by a heavy security presence comprising nearly 1,000 personnel from Assam Police, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and other security agencies.According to district administration sources, the drive was launched following allegations that a syndicate had constructed numerous illegal houses, tin sheds and nurseries on agricultural land in an attempt to claim compensation meant for land acquisition under the Bharatmala Project.Officials said many of the structures were allegedly erected recently, with the intention of siphoning off govt compensation linked to the road project. The administration swung into action after the matter surfaced on various media platforms.Authorities maintained that the primary objective of the exercise was to clear encroachments from govt and agricultural land to facilitate the smooth execution of the nationally significant infrastructure project.The eviction operation continued throughout the day and remained largely peaceful, officials said.Speaking to reporters at the site, Cachar Addl SP (Crime) Rajat Kumar Pal said elaborate security arrangements had been put in place following instructions from the district administration.“The situation is being closely monitored and additional security personnel have been brought in from neighbouring districts to ensure the operation is conducted smoothly,” Pal said. He appealed to residents to cooperate with the administration.Officials indicated that further action may follow if additional encroachments linked to the alleged compensation fraud are identified during the ongoing verification process.