Assam, Mizoram CM decide to form committee to resolve border disputes

New Delhi/Aizawl, Sep 21 (IANS) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and his Mizoram counterpart Zoramthanga held a meeting in New Delhi on Wednesday and discussed the ways and means for lasting solutions to the disputes along their states' 164.6-km-long border.

After the meeting, Sarma tweeted: "To resolve the long-standing border issue with Mizoram, met Chief Minister Shri Zoramthanga ji at Assam House, New Delhi and reviewed ministerial-level talks held at Aizawl on August 9. We are in the process of forming a regional committee to discuss and resolve the issue."

An official in Aizawl said that like the Assam-Meghalaya and Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border disputes resolution process, several committees would be formed to visit the ground zero of the inter-state border and put up their recommendations.

A Mizoram government statement said that the key subject of discussion was to resolve the border issues between the two states, and to review the official and ministerial level meetings.

"They (both Chief Ministers) also touched upon the issue of arecanut transportation, on which both CMs agreed to staunchly stand against any illegal transportation. Arecanuts grown in Mizoram will not be stopped from crossing the interstate border," the statement said.

Often, arecanuts, in huge quantities, are being smuggled from Myanmar to the northeastern states, mainly through the unfenced border with Mizoram, affecting the business of Indian farmers and traders.

Wednesday's meeting was the second Chief Minister-level meeting to find a permanent solution to the vexed border issues after a series of clashes in the last two years.

Delegations led by Mizoram Home Minister Lalchamliana, and Assam Border Protection and Development Minister Atul Bora held meetings twice in Aizawl in August this year and last year and had decided certain issues to deal with the matter.

The worst-ever violence along the inter-state border was reported on July 26 last year, which left six Assam Police personnel dead and nearly 100 civilians and security personnel of both states injured.