Saikia raps erection of posts along galand border

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, May 14: Leader of Opposition in the Assam Legislative Assembly (ALA) Debabrata Saikia has criticized the State Forest Department for erecting posts in the disputed ginijan area in Jorhat along the galand border without taking the district and sub-divisiol  administrations, circle officers, gaoburhas, the local and others into confidence.

In a statement issued to the press today, Saikia said: “We all know that we have long-pending border disputes with neighbouring States – Aruchal Pradesh, galand, Meghalaya and Mizoram. The fil verdict of the Supreme Court of India on the border disputes between Assam and galand is still awaited. It has come to light that encroachment of Assam land by people from galand is more in forest land than in revenue land. There has been no joint survey of lands by the Revenue and Forest Departments in the State. The act of the Forest Department demarcating borders unilaterally may encourage encroachers from the neighouring State. We condemn this act, and appeal to the Chief Minister and the Forest Minister to take punitive steps against the officials involved in the erection of border posts.”

Saikia appreciated Congress MLA Rupjyoti Kurmi for staging a protest against the erection of border posts by the Forest Department. “We hope that the Assam Government won’t do take any such step that may weaken the stand of the State government in the case pending at the apex court,” he said.