GUWAHATI: Amid tension in the wake of fresh tension brewing along the Assam-Mizoram border, state minister Parimal Suklabaidya visited the affected areas and took stock of the situation.
The extensive stock-taking visit of the minister covered areas such as Tulartol, Baghewala, Singua and Lailapur near the inter-state border.
Suklabaidya, who was accompanied by residents, gaon panchayat members and police officials, interacted with the residents of the areas affected by the incidents and allayed their apprehensions in the wake of the untoward incidents in the area.
Reassuring that the state government was with them, he urged the residents not to panic unnecessarily and said that the government was making all out efforts to resolve the border dispute.
The minister inspected the new border outposts (BOPs) set up at Singua and also assured to set up two more BOPs at Tulartol and Baghewala as desired by the residents.
During the visit, Suklabaidya, who is also a legislator from Dholai constituency in Cachar district, spoke to the police personnel deployed on the border outposts and local police stations and directed them to be vigilant against any untoward incidents which might escalate further tension among residents.
He visited the Lailapur police outpost and spoke to the police officials and prominent citizens.
The minister also informed the residents that he has been in constant touch with senior police officials regarding the line of incidents.
“We have assured the residents of the affected areas of all support and cooperation to the citizens as conveyed by chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal,” the minister later tweeted.
Meanwhile, Mizoram home minister Lalchamliana asserted that the government would not withdraw its forces from the border till the situation turned normal.
The minister’s statement came a day after the Cachar district administration asked the Mizoram government to withdraw its forces from the border areas.
Lalchamliana, while speaking to the media, reiterated that the Mizoram government accepted the demarcation notified in 1875 under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation (BEFR) of 1873 as the actual boundary of Mizoram and Assam.