The Gauhati High Court has temporarily stopped the eviction drive in Behali, Biswanath district, bringing relief to over 400 families who were facing displacement. The court issued the stay order on October 21, preventing the district administration from proceeding with planned eviction actions in Nijbaghmari’s Namapara and Palakta areas.
Earlier this year, on August 21, the Biswanath district administration had served eviction notices to 433 families living across these localities. Authorities had prepared to reclaim 265 bigha, 3 katha, and 15 lecha of land in Behali’s Baghmara Mouza, particularly targeting plots in Dag Nos. 189 and 203. The eviction drive aimed to remove occupants from land classified as VGR (Village Government Reserved) land under the settlement records dating back to 1919–20, revised in 1970–71 and 1981.
Following an application by 75 affected families, the Gauhati High Court intervened and issued the stay order, citing the need to examine individual claims and documents. Despite repeated preparations by the district administration to proceed with the evictions, the court’s directive halted all activities for the time being. 
Official records indicate that the petitioners failed to provide valid government documents supporting their claims of ownership or right to the land. Many presented voter IDs, Aadhaar cards, ration cards, and old receipts, but these were deemed insufficient to establish legal possession. The Circle Officer of Biswanath confirmed that the land in question was VGR land and noted that the petitioners had occupied it without valid documents.
The district administration, under the guidance of Addl. District Commissioner Ashim Borgohain, had conducted individual hearings in October to review the claims. During the proceedings, it was found that the petitioners’ ancestral land claims either lacked government documentation or pertained to entirely different villages. As a result, the claims were officially rejected.
The stay from the Gauhati High Court ensures that no eviction will take place in the affected areas until further orders. Families residing in Nijbaghmari’s Namapara and Palakta areas now await the final decision, giving them temporary relief from displacement.
