Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI: The seriousness of the Assam government regarding the development of areas along the interstate boundaries and the security of people residing in those areas continues to be questioned. The successive Assam government's inadequate development efforts in the border areas, compared to those of neighbouring states, have long been a point of contention among fringe dwellers.
This allegation seeks to prove its authenticity, as seven border outposts (BOPs) of the state along the interstate borders have been non-functional. The Assam Police manages 103 BOPs across 19 districts that share borders with neighbouring states. The Jorhat district has the highest number of 16 BOPs, followed by ten each in Cachar and Hailakandi, nine in Golaghat, etc.
Three of the four BOPs in the Charaideo district are functional, and one is non-functional. A real cause of concern is that all the six BOPs in the Dima Hasao district are non-functional. Incidents of people from the neighbouring states entering Assam and threatening the people residing in border areas of Assam have been very common.
Of late, the state government has decided to set up 50 new BOPs in 20 districts that share borders with neighbouring states. The situation requires immediate action to make the seven non-functional BOPs operational, in addition to establishing the proposed 50 new BOPs.
The district-wise breakup of the proposed 50 BOPs along interstate boundaries is two in Karbi Anglong along the Nagaland border, two in South Salmara-Mankachar along the Meghalaya border, four in Tinsukia along the Arunachal Pradesh border, two in Udalguri along the Arunachal Pradesh border, two in Jorhat along the Nagaland border, one in Sivasagar along the Nagaland border, one in Charaideo along the Nagaland border, two in Dhemaji along the Arunachal Pradesh border, three in West Karbi Anglong along the Meghalaya border, one in Dibrugarh along the Arunachal Pradesh border, one in Goalpara along the Meghalaya border, two in Kamrup along the Meghalaya border, two in Dima Hasao along the Nagaland and Manipur borders, one in Morigaon along the Meghalaya border, five in Lakhimpur along the Arunachal Pradesh border, four in Biswanath along the Arunachal Pradesh border, two in Dhubri along the West Bengal border, one in Kamrup (M) along the Meghalaya border, one in Sribhumi along the Mizoram border and 11 in Cachar along the Mizoram border.
Over 200 people lost their lives in skirmishes along the interstate border in Assam.
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