Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday said the Supreme Court has clarified the state government’s authority to conduct eviction drives in forest areas, while also directing the formation of a committee to oversee the process.

The committee will include the Deputy Commissioner (DC) as chairman, the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) as member secretary, and other officials such as the Additional Deputy Commissioner (Revenue), the concerned Range Officer, and the Circle Officer. It will determine whether land falls under forest or revenue jurisdiction and issue eviction notices accordingly. If the committee confirms the land is forest property, the state government can carry out eviction within 15 days.

“Some people had moved to the Supreme Court claiming the Assam government had no right to conduct evictions. The apex court has allowed the state to carry out eviction drives in forest areas while ensuring proper hearings through the committee. This judgment, delivered by Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Narasimha, has streamlined the entire process,” Sarma said.

The CM added that since eviction drives began, particularly in Sarupathar constituency, including Daiyang and Nambor Reserve Forest areas, as well as in Golaghat and Nagaon districts, 1,25,326 bighas of forest land have been freed. Including revenue department figures, the total cleared land exceeds 1.60 lakh bighas.

Sarma described the Supreme Court ruling as a historic victory for the Assam government, noting that the state’s forest department is now free from legal disputes related to evictions.