GUWAHATI: A three-member team of officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs(MHA) headed by the Joint Secretary, North East, Satyendra Garg visited the Assam-Mizoram boundary on Tuesday to make an on-the-spot assessment of the situation arising out of the recent border clashes in the area and prescribe measures to arrest escalation of tension in the area.
The team arrived at Kolasib-Hailakandi area on the inter-state boundary to review the situation there.
Immediately after his arrival from Guwahati by an MHA chopper at noon, Garg was closeted himself in a meeting with senior officials of home department of Assam and Mizoram for almost two hours.
After the meeting, the MHA team prescribed that both states would maintain status quo and resolve the dispute amicably.
The meeting also decided that as the areas along the inter-state boundary fall in inner line reserved forests, both the sides must first identify all illegal structure after which the process of dismantling will begin within April 30.
The meeting further decided that to usher in peace and normalcy, both the states would withdraw their respective security forces by this evening.
The fact-finding team will submit its report to the Union Home Secretary on April 5 next after which it will be discussed in a follow up meeting with the Chief Secretaries of the two states.
The Government of Assam was represented by Principal Secretary, Home, LS Changsan, Director General Police (Border), R M Singh, Deputy Commissioner, Hailakandi, Adil Khan, Superintendent of Police, Mohneesh Mishra and the local DFO, while the Mizoram side was represented by senior officials of the home department, DC and SP of Kolasib district. The team was assisted by officials of Survey of India.
The visit of the high-level team is an outcome of the meeting of Chief Secretaries of Assam and Mizoram with Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba held in New Delhi on March 20 last on Assam-Mizoram inter-state boundary row.
