Monday, March 20 2006 11:45 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Gangtok: The Congress, the main opposition party in Sikkim, today (Mar 20 2006) protested what it called the 'forceful eviction of poor families' in Rangpo near Gangtok and claimed that the hasty action of the administration had caused great distress to the people in the area.

In an anti-encroachment drive the East district administration had served eviction notices to about a hundred houses on government land in Rangpo recently.

After visiting the affected families in the area the public grievance cell of the pradesh Congress committee here claimed that the hasty action of the district administration had put them in great trouble.

Pointing out that the district administration should have made proper alternative arrangements for the families before serving them with eviction notices the chairman of the state congress' grievance cell S K Bardewa said the state government should suitably compensate the occupants of the houses who are to be evicted.