Government terms Kaziranga animal corridors 'revenue villages'

GUWAHATI: Contradicting its previous statement, the state government, in an affidavit filed before the Gauhati high court on Wednesday, termed the two animal corridors of Bandordubi and Deusurchang, 'revenue villages'.
"The state government said both the areas are revenue villages and there are indigenous people living in these areas, including people belonging to religious minorities.In a previous report, Kaziranga National Park authorities had said the two areas had been marked as reserve forest. However, the fresh affidavit says these people were settled in these areas from the first addition of the national park," said advocate Rita Boro Bora, counsel of Mrinal Saikia who had moved the court in 2012 seeking its intervention in clearing Kaziranga, a World Heritage Site, of illegal settlers.
The petitioner objected to the state government's statement.
Earlier, the court had ordered the state revenue department's commissioner secretary, district authorities of Nagaon and Golaghat and Nagaon Police to file their responses regarding compliance with its previous order regarding evicting people from the two animal corridors within October 6.
A high-powered committee formed by the high court has revealed in its report that suspected migrants have been settling in the park areas.
Sources said, during investigation, around 59 families had refused to show their land documents to the committee members.
The court will take up the matter again on Friday.