MHA team inspects Assam-Mizo border

A Correspondent

Hailakandi, March 27: A three-member high-level team of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) today visited the Assam-Mizoram border to make an on-the-spot assessment of the situation.

Headed by MHA Joint Secretary (Northeast) Satyendra Garg, the team arrived in the Kolasib-Hailakandi area on the inter-State border to review the situation there and came up with remedial measures to avoid further tension.

Immediately on his arrival from Guwahat, Garg was at a meeting with senior officials of Home Department of both the States for almost two hours.

It was decided that both the States would maintain status quo and resolve the dispute amicably.

Held in a cordial atmosphere, the meeting also decided that as the areas along the inter-State border fall in inner-line reserved forests, both the sides must first identify all illegal structures after which the process of dismantling will begin within April 30.

The meeting further decided that to usher in peace and normalcy, both the States would withdraw their respective security forces by evening on Tuesday. 

The fact-finding team will submit its report to the Union Home Secretary on April 5 after which it will be discussed at a follow-up meeting with the Chief Secretaries of the two States.

The Government of Assam was represented by Principal Secretary (Home) LS Changsan, Director General (Border) RM Singh, Hailakandi DC Adil Khan, Hailakandi SP Mohneesh Mishra and DFO, while the Mizoram side was represented by senior officials of the Home Department, DC and SP, Kolasib district. The team was assisted by officials of the Survey of India.

The visit of the high-level team is an outcome of the meeting of Chief Secretaries of Assam and Mizoram with Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba on Assam-Mizoram inter-State border row in New Delhi on March 20.