GUWAHATI, July 2: As the situation along the Assam-Mizoram border remains tense, the Assam Director General of Police on Friday categorically said that encroachment on forest land along the state’s border with Mizoram or in Nagaland would not be allowed.
Addressing media persons at the DGP headquarters here, Assam DGP Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta said the state police had been assisting the forest department in clearing encroached forest areas of Assam along the border areas.
“Police have responded to the requisition by the forest department for protection of the forest personnel. It has been found that there has been encroachment in the forests within the jurisdiction of Assam,” Mahanta said.
“It is the mandate of the forest department given by the Supreme Court that forests are not to be played around with…if there is encroachment it is the duty of the forest department to protect the forest,” he said.
Reportedly, two makeshift camps erected by Mizoram police in the disputed area were allegedly damaged by Assam police on Thursday.
DGP Mahanta further said that the forest department had requisitioned police personnel inside the reserve forest in different locations for the protection of the forest staff.
“In doing so, if they come across encroachments, then they would be demolished by the forest department,” Mahanta said.
Kolasib district deputy commissioner H. Lalthlangliana, speaking to the media, said three makeshift camps were erected by the state police following the mutual agreement on Wednesday, which allowed the deployment of forces by both states on either side of the border.
“Two of the three makeshift camps erected by the Mizoram police were damaged by the Assam police during a confrontation between the two forces on Thursday,” he said.
Meanwhile, Niraj Verma, principal secretary to the government of Assam, informed that chief secretary-level talks between Assam and Mizoram were likely to be held soon.
“The Assam chief secretary has already written to his Mizoram counterpart in this regard,” Verma said.
“Officers from both states come to the border to ascertain the facts if there are any differences of opinion,” he said.
He further said that border meetings used to routinely happen earlier which allowed people to know the ground situation better.
