Assam Government asks top officials to be Alert in Border Outposts

Encroaching neighbours make Assam to erect 34 more BOPs

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI: Fed up with encroaching neighbours, Assam is going to erect 34 more BOPs (border outposts) along its inter-State border.

While construction of some of the BOPs is almost over, some are underway. Assam has 81 such inter-State BOPs now. Around forty companies of security personnel have been deployed to man the 81 BOPs.

From time to time Dispur is holding talks with its neighbouring States to solve the existing border disputes. Maintaining status quo is one of the decisions taken in such meetings. However, despite this standing decision, some civilians and State machinery of the neighbouring States are seen to encroach upon Assam land. While Assam-Nagaland and Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border disputes are sub-judice with the Supreme Court of India, Dispur has no such case with the apex court on border disputes with Meghalaya and Mizoram.

In a letter, the Department of Border Protection and Development has told the deputy commissioners and superintendents of police of the districts sharing borders with other States that ‘apart from civilians even state machinery of some of the neighbouring States encroach upon Assam land in sheer violation of the status quo’. The department has asked the DCs and SPs to keep watch on fresh encroachment and take action to evict encroachers, if need be, with the deployment of more forces.

The proposed 34 BOPs are to be erect in Kamrup, Karbi Anglong, West Karbi Anglong, Dima Hasao, Biswanath, Sonitpur, etc districts.

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