Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday (February 11, 2026) termed the Supreme Court’s judgment allowing the State to carry out evictions in reserved forest areas after clearance by a specially constituted committee as "landmark", saying it will streamline anti-encroachment drives.
He said over 1.25 lakh bighas of forest land have been cleared of encroachments, with another 20 bighas still under illegal occupation.
"This is a landmark judgment in the history of our forest department…The State government has won a historic case which gives it the full right to evict in forest land. The apex court even said that if the forest comes under panchayat areas, it cannot be an excuse for not evicting," Mr. Sarma said at a press conference here.
Eviction underway to clear encroachment on 3,600 acres of forest land in Assam's Golaghat
The Supreme Court had on Tuesday (February 10, 2026) allowed the Assam government to constitute a committee of forest and revenue officials to look into unauthorised occupants in the Doyang reserved forest and its adjoining villages in Golaghat district, observing that forests constitute one of the most vital natural resources of the nation.
