Meeting held to formulate strategies to solve Assam-Arunachal border dispute

OUR CORRESPONDENT

ITANAGAR: The newly inducted members of the Regional Border Dispute Committee for Papum Pare district in Arunachal Pradesh met on Friday to evaluate the ground work done by the previous committee and assess the prevailing conditions and to formulate strategies to solve the border issues with neighbouring Assam amicably.

The newly constituted committee includes Land Management Minister Balo Raja as the chairman and Doimukh MLA Nabam Vivek, Rajya Sabha MP Nabam Rebia, Papum Pare deputy commissioner and SP as members.

By assessing the ground realities, we can develop targeted solutions that address ‘area specific’ causes of border issues, Vivek said.

Vivek asked the administrative officers for completing a review of the field assessments of border areas by August next, and also proposed for meetings with the Assam counterpart in September this year.

Rajya Sabha member Nabam Rebia while briefing on the MoU signed by the chief ministers of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh during the Namsai Declaration, called for prior consultation with local authorities, community leaders and affected people before taking any decision on the boundary issue to work out an amicable solution.

Papum Pare deputy commissioner Jiken Bomjen called for maintaining the status quo in the border areas and avoiding provocative actions at all costs.

He gave a brief about the present status of the border issues with Lakhimpur and Sonitpur districts of Assam with Papum Pare and also highlighted the actions taken on the boundary issues.

Border People’s Forum president Nabam Akin Hina suggested conducting local level meetings and joint patrolling in boundary areas to check illegal activities. He also pointed out the shortage of police personnel at Kimin police station.

Inter-state Border Affairs deputy director Rome Mele made a PowerPoint presentation on the position of the boundary villages of Papum Pare and the demands of the affected people of Assam and Arunachal.

In the meeting, administrative officers presented the status of boundary dispute cases in their jurisdictions.

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