Kohima: Nagaland Minister for Forest and Borders Affairs Y Patton has said the state Government is considering setting up police outpost to provide security to the people and further added that Nagas do not want land even an inch belonging to Assam, but what belongs to Nagaland State should be protected.
According to official sources today Mr Patton was accompanied by Nagaland Commissioner Banuo Z Jamir, DIG Border, L B Lemturand other officials from Border Affairs and District Administration and police visited Saring village under Mokokchung district, where there was a border clash with Assam on Monday last and held a meeting with the villagers on Thursday, where the Minister said border issue with Assam has taken up at the highest level and expressed hope that a solution acceptable to both would be hammered out.
He stated that even though there was an agreement between the two states not to set up any police outpost within the Disturb Area Belt (DAB) in the border, Assam police has allegedly set up 37 police outposts in blatant violation of the agreement.
The Commissioner in her speech said a high level meeting of Nagaland and Assam is scheduled on June 21 at Jorhat, Assam to discuss border issue. She said leaders of civil societies from both sides and Border Peace Coordination Committee will be invited to make the meeting fruitful.
Touching on present border incident near Saring village, Jamir admitted that presence of immigrants in the border areas is one of the causes of unrest in the border between the two states.
She appealed to the villagers to remain calm and cooperate with district administration to maintain peace in the border. NSF and AKM leaders, who attended the meeting also spoke at the meeting.
Saring Village Council members Ongdisangpang and Panger Longchar briefed the Minister and the officials about their cordial relations with Assamese and said there was no land dispute between the two people till arrival of immigrants in the border.
Border dispute between Assam and Nagaland is pending in the Supreme Court. (UNI)
