GUWAHATI: A total of 120 bigha out of 180 bigha land area of Dholpur Shiva Mandir in Sipajhar, Darrang, was cleared of illegal encroachment during an eviction drive on June 7. The drive was carried out by police and district administration in Sipajhar.
On June 7, Assam Chief Minister (CM) Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma visited Gorukhuti in Sipajhar to take stock of the eviction drive in the riverine areas of the Dholpur Shiva Mandir. The area was heavily encroached on by illegal settlers.
The Assam CM appreciated the efforts of the police and district administration to evict the illegal settlers and he called on the remaining encroachers to wilfully vacate the lands. He also assured that going forward, necessary steps would be taken to preserve and protect the historic Shiva Temple.
This includes setting up a Manikut (Manikut, meaning a 'jewel hut', an independent room located towards the eastern end of a Namghar), a guest house, and boundary walls of the temple, and turning it into a place of tourist attraction.
Further, the CM Sarma reiterated the state government’s commitment to making the lands of satras and temples in the state encroachment-free. He asserted that the Assam state government would take all steps to protect the state’s land, identity, culture, language, and heritage from aggressors and illegal migrants. He also informed that the temple management committee would be entitled to decide how to utilize its land and earn revenue.