Guwahati: The process of clearing tea bushes from sites intended for the development of Silchar’s proposed Greenfield airport resumed for the second day. The decision was made by the state administration despite strong opposition from Dolo Tea Estate workers, escalating protests, and their genuine pleas to halt the eviction process.
In the midst of a robust security cover and officials from the Cachar district government, almost 100 bulldozers were seen removing tea bushes.
According to reports, over three million plants will be uprooted to build the Greenfield airport for which a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on March 7 by the Doloo Tea Company’s authorities and three registered trade unions at the Doloo tea estate representing the garden’s workers namely Barak Cha Shramik Union, Akhil Bharatiya Cha Mazdoor Sangh, and Barak Valley Cha Mazdoor Sangh.
It may be mentioned that during his January visit to Silchar, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stated that Silchar will get a new airport which is one of the upcoming significant projects that will be approved in the next 2-3 weeks.
The roadblocks to the development of Barak Valley are right here. People in this region must work with the government to ensure that significant projects are completed on time. We will see that no one loses their livelihood in the process of securing the land for the new airport, as asked by the people here.
Meanwhile, strong police and CRPF force was positioned at the Lalbagh division of the tea garden, the location of the garden where the airport will be built, to prevent protesting labourers from visiting the area, and the uprooting of the bushes began. GP Singh, Special DGP (Law and Order), and Ramandeep Kaur, Cachar SP, were seen guiding police officers to avert any untoward incidents.
However, no major incidents have been recorded in the area where the uprooting is taking place thus far.