Assam, Arunachal govts working to resolve boundary dispute: Felix

ITANAGAR, 22 Nov: Home Minister Bamang Felix informed that the governments of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh are working hard to resolve the longstanding boundary dispute between the two states.

Addressing a press conference here on Monday evening, Felix termed the latest incident of boundary dispute in Kimin area “unfortunate.”

Assam’s forest officials had recently served a notice to the villagers of Belo, Lora, Buka and Gumto to vacate their land, claiming that the areas belonged to Assam.

Felix informed that Chief Minister Pema Khandu spoke to his Assam counterpart Himanta Biswa Sarma and apprised him of “the veracity of the issue.”

“The matter has been seriously taken by the state government and various levels of talks are already underway. The chief secretary of Arunachal Pradesh has taken up the matter with the Assam chief secretary,” he said.

The minister also said that the inspector generals of police of both the states held a discussion on Monday in Yupia to resolve the latest dispute.

“The DCs and SPs of Papum Pare and North Lakhimpur, along with the DFOs also attended the meeting. As of now, both the governments have agreed for peaceful settlement of the boundary issue and have agreed to maintain the status quo,” said the home minister.

He also said that the initiative to resolve the boundary dispute out of court has started. “The high-power committee constituted by the state government has started the work in this regard,” Felix said.