Nagaland govt closely monitoring Assam's eviction drive at inter-state border: Dy CM Patton

Kohima, Sept 4 (PTI) Nagaland Deputy Chief Minister Yanthungo Patton on Thursday said the state government was closely monitoring the eviction drives carried out by Assam in the Disputed Area Belt (DAB) along the inter-state border.

Speaking in the assembly, Patton said Nagaland first received reports on July 16 of surveys in the reserve forest area by Assam government officials.

The matter was immediately raised by Nagaland's Border Magistrate with his counterpart in Surapathar on July 17, followed by a joint verification and a coordination meeting of district officials from Niuland, Wokha and Golaghat on July 22, he said.

To assess the ground situation, Patton said he, along with MLA Achumbemo Kikon and representatives of Lotha Hoho, Lotha Students’ Union and Western Sumi Hoho, visited the areas in Wokha and Niuland on July 24.

A week later, on July 30, the state cabinet resolved that eviction drives must be carried out jointly by both states to prevent unilateral action and illegal immigration, he said.

Patton said tensions escalated on August 21 when Assam's Forest Department began preparations for plantations and erecting boundary pillars in the evicted areas in Wokha district.

Protests by local residents prompted Nagaland's chief secretary to issue a press statement, reiterating that all activities in the DAB must be done jointly.

On the same day, Wokha and Golaghat officials held a second round of talks, he said.

Patton, who is also the minister-in-charge of border affairs, said that following intervention by both chief ministers, he, accompanied by MLAs Y. Mhonbemo Humtsoe and Achumbemo Kikon, met Assam's Forest Minister and Surapathar legislator on August 23.

It was agreed that no plantations or boundary pillars would be undertaken until further discussion at the chief minister level, he said.

The Nagaland cabinet on August 26 further resolved to evict illegal immigrants and ensure any plantation work is carried out jointly, with full coordination between district administrations, police, forest department and local residents, he added.

The cabinet also decided to write to the Union Home Ministry over two concerns -- the presence of 45 permanent Assam Police posts in the DAB against the 1972 Interim Agreement (Nagaland has only temporary posts after withdrawing its five permanent ones), and the control of CRPF operations resting solely with Assam Police instead of under joint command, Patton said.

He said the cabinet has agreed in principle to form a Special Border Response Force (SBRF), comprising Border Affairs, Police and Forest personnel, for quick intervention in border tensions.

Appealing for caution against unverified reports, Patton said the government is actively pursuing the matter at both state and central levels to fully protect and safeguard the interests of the people living in the border areas. PTI NBS NBS SOM