KOHIMA, 16 Oct: Representatives of the Nagaland government will soon meet PM Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma to address the ongoing border dispute with the neighbouring state, Deputy Chief Minister Y. Patton said.
Patton told this to villagers on Tuesday while visiting Tuli in the Mokokchung district that borders Assam to take stock of the situation on the ground.
Patton, who also holds the portfolio for Home and Border Affairs, was accompanied by local MLA A. Pangjung Jamir, DGP Rupin Sharma and officers of the district administration, an official statement said on Wednesday.
The team inspected key areas of concern, including the Assam Police Commando Battalion camp at Septsuyong Lu in Kangtsung village and Wameken Yimsen village, it said.
The visit aimed to assess the situation on the ground and engage with local stakeholders amid growing tensions in the border area, it said.
During the discussions with the villagers and representatives of Ao Senden, the apex tribal body of the district, Patton said the state cabinet during its meeting on October 9 deliberated on the matter, emphasising the government’s serious approach to resolving the dispute.
He informed the villagers that letters had been sent to the PM, the home minister, and the CM of Assam to address the issue and that the state cabinet would be meeting them soon, it said.
Patton also urged the villagers not to sell their land to non-indigenous people, stressing the importance of preserving local land ownership in the region.
Nagaland shares 512.1 km of interstate border with Assam. While both sides accuse each other of occupation of land in the Disputed Area Belt, a case has been ongoing in the Supreme Court for several years now. (PTI)