Assam-Nagaland to sign MoU to end border dispute in Mariani, Jorhat

GUWAHATI: The states governments of Assam and Nagaland will, reportedly, sign a Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) to end a decades-long border dispute today.

Sources revealed that both the states governments are mulling to end the decades-long border dispute in the Dishoi Valley area, Mariani.

In order to keep permanent peace in the inter-state border area, both parties have agreed to sign an MoU, sources said.

Education Minister Ranuj Pegu and Chief Secretary Jishnu Baruah will represent Assam and sign the MoU. "Both the parties will maintain status quo in the Dishoi Valley area of the Assam-Nagaland border," sources said.

A few years ago 17 people of Assam died in a border clash that occurred at Dhansiri Sub-division of the Golaghat district. Likewise, miscreants from the neighboring state allegedly, often create trouble in the inter-state border area in Geleki, Sivasagar.

Earlier, former Congress MLA from Mariani Rupjyoti Kurmi had a providential escape when miscreants from the Nagaland side opened fire on a team led by him along the Assam-Nagaland border.

Following reports of encroachment of Assam land in the Dessoi Valley Reserve Forest by miscreants from Nagaland, the Congress MLA went to the spot to take stock of the situation around 2.30 pm on Thursday. He was accompanied by villagers and security personnel.

According to sources, when the MLA and the villagers were around 200 meters away from reaching the spot, miscreants from the Nagaland side opened fire on them. The security personnel accompanying the MLA also fired around 15 rounds in retaliation. However, there is no report of casualty on either of the two sides.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma termed the incident unfortunate that may jeopardize the relations between the two neighboring states. He directed Special DGP GP Singh to rush to the site and conduct an inquiry.

Kurmi said, "As the legislator of Mariani where the encroachment has taken place, I must go and see the spot. "On Assam soil, I have been shot at by a group of armed Nagaland villagers, and I had to run away."

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