GUWAHATI: The Assam government on Sunday resumed its eviction drive against illegal settlers on forest land. The drive, carried out in some eastern, western and northern Assam districts earlier, was halted in the aftermath of music icon Zubeen Garg’s mysterious death in Singapore.

It was resumed in western Assam’s Goalpara district. The forest department demolished 588 houses spread across 153 hectares at the Dahikata Reserve Forest.

“Eviction notices were served on 588 households, days ahead of the drive,” Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Goalpara, Tejas Mariswami told TNIE .

He also said that upon receiving the notices, 30 to 40 per cent of the illegal settlers had vacated their houses by taking along valuables. “There was no major resistance or confrontation as such. Everything p

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