AAPSU welcomes HC verdict on Chakma encroachers

Itanagar, Apr 3 (UNI) The All Arunachal Pradesh Students' Union (AAPSU) today welcomed the verdict of Gauhati High Court against the Chakma refugees illegally encroaching forest land in Diyun Reserve Forest under Changlang district.

The union also urged the state government to take immediate action on the order.

The High Court recently in its judgment had stated that Chakma refugees, who had illegally occupied the Diyun Reserve Forest land, could be evicted from the area.

''The refugees who are temporarily settled in the state purely on humanitarian grounds have shown complete disrespect and disregard to the goodwill gesture shown by the indigenous people of the state,'' the AAPSU said.

The union regretted that the state Forest department could not evict the encroachers on its own despite having a number of forest acts and laws.

''Following the abysmal attitude shown by the department, precious flora and fauna were lost due to the marauding act of the refugees,'' it added.

Meanwhile, the Changlang district administration initiated action against encroachers of government land allotted to various departments in the township.

The administration directed the concerned departments to furnish report on encroachment within April 15 so as to initiate necessary eviction drive, official sources said.

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