Assam-Arunachal Border Row: Both states to visit disputed areas in Sept for proper field study

A crucial ministerial-level talk in regards to the border issues between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh was held on Monday at Balipara, Sonitpur.

Pijush Hazarika, Minister for Water Resources, Information, and Public Relations, today attended a meeting of the Regional Committee formed to resolve the border issue. 

The committee from Assam, led by Pijush Hazarika, met with the committee members from Arunachal Pradesh, led by Arunachal Pradesh Minister for Environment, Forests, Water Resources, and Sports, Mama Natung, and discussed the border issue between Pakke Kesang district of Arunachal Pradesh and Biswanath and Sonitpur districts of Assam. 

During the course of the meeting, Pijush Hazarika said the two teams from both the states will visit the disputed areas on September 2nd and 3rd next and prepare a report after conducting a proper field study of the area.

The Minister also said that the report would be prepared only after visiting the border areas and interacting with the people residing in the area.

Arunachal Minister Mama Natung thanked the Chief Ministers of the two states for taking the initiative to resolve the border issue in a peaceful manner and urged Assam to take on the responsibility as an elder brother and play a strong role in helping develop the area.

Speaking to media persons after the meeting, Minister Pijush Hazarika thanked Minister Mama Natung for giving Assam the honour and opportunity to play the role of an elder brother and expressed confidence that the long-standing border issue between the two states will be resolved soon. Pijush hazarika further informed that a lot of disputed areas between the two states have already been resolved in the meeting held between the Chief Ministers of the two states at Namsai in July. Hazarika informed that the committees from the two states will visit the disputed areas on September 2nd and 3rd next and interact with the locals of the area, taking note of their views before preparing a report. 

It may be noted that there are four disputed villages bordering Pakke Kesang district of Arunachal Pradesh and Biswanath district of Assam at present. Recently, an agreement was signed between the governments of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh at Namsai,  to resolve the long-standing border issue. 

On the basis of this agreement, several regional committees were formed to resolve the border issues between the two states. The committees have to submit their reports to the Chief Ministers of the two states by September 15 next. 

The Assam team led by Minister Pijush Hazarika was comprised of MP Pallab Lochan Das, MLAs Pramod Borthakur, Ganesh Limboo, Krishna Kamal Tanti, Secretary to the Government of Assam, Akashdeep, Deputy Commissioners of Sonitpur and Biswanath, Superintendents of Police of Sonitpur and Biswanath, and other officials, while along with Minister Mama Natung, MLA Biyuram Wahge, Addl Resident Commissioner, Govt of Arunchal Pradesh, Kajal Karmakar, district administration officials from Pakke Kessang, and other senior officials were part of the team from Arunachal Pradesh.