Four neighbouring states continue to retain control over 82,796 hectares of Assam land despite govt initiatives

Guwahati: Despite concerted efforts by the Himanta Biswa Sarma government to resolve the inter-state border disputes, approximately 82,796 hectares of land in Assam remain under the control of neighbouring states, including Mizoram, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, and Nagaland. The ongoing aggression by neighboring states continues even as special initiatives are underway to address the long-standing border disputes, officials said.

The issue of land grabbing by neighboring states was a focal point of discussion in the recently concluded Assam Assembly session. According to official data, Arunachal Pradesh occupies 16,144 hectares while Mizoram and Meghalaya hold 3,679 and 3,442 hectares respectively and Nagaland has a significant share of 59,490 hectares.

Shortly after assuming office, chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma initiated steps to resolve border disputes with neighboring states and till now, six of the twelve disputed issues have been settled with Meghalaya. However, tension along the borders persist and encroachments continue despite government efforts.

In the last one and a half year, the neighbouring states have encroached around 13,741 hectares of land in Assam with Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland being particularly active in this regard. The Assam government is actively engaged in discussions with these states to reach a resolution, but situation remans unchanged.

The Union Home Ministry has advised the concerned states to establish regional committees to resolve boundary disputes through bilateral agreements. Both Assam and Arunachal Pradesh have formed twelve regional committees each in this regard.

These regional committees are actively visiting the border areas, consulting locals and engaging in discussions to resolve inter-state boundary disputes. An MoU has been inked for 123 villages claimed by Arunachal Pradesh, and the demarcation process for the remaining 52 villages is currently underway.