Guwahati: Assam forest minister Jayanta Mallabaruah on Monday inspected two proposed reserve forests in Goalpara district.Mallabaruah visited Tharkonalbari and Rakhyasini Pahar proposed reserve forests to assess reports of encroachment and review steps to strengthen forest protection. The inspection followed recent eviction drives and the process of converting proposed reserve forest land into reserve forest.Accompanied by senior forest officials and local MLAs, the minister reviewed the affected areas and interacted with residents.Mallabaruah said the visit followed reports that a substantial portion of forest land was encroached upon, and the field inspection confirmed the need for protection and conservation measures.“The rights of our indigenous people will be fully protected, and there should be no concern regarding their traditional rights. At the same time, encroachment on forest land by outsiders will not be allowed, as protecting our forests remains a priority,” he said.He said shrinking forest cover due to encroachment worsened human-elephant conflict in Goalpara, adding that protecting existing forests, expanding green cover and plantation drives were essential to reduce such incidents.“Following discussions with officials of the forest department, the police and the district administration, we will soon initiate firm action against the encroachers, reclaim the forest land and undertake a plantation drive to restore the affected areas,” he added.Last year, authorities evicted more than 1,000 families from 1,038 bighas of Paikan reserve forest and cleared 1,143 bighas of Dahikata reserve forest of alleged encroachment by 588 families.
