Border dispute with Assam yet to be resolved as per Mizoram’s interest — Lalchamliana

Aizawl, March 16 (PTI): The inter-state border dispute with Assam is yet to be resolved according to the best interest of Mizoram, state Home Minister Lalchamliana informed the Assembly on Monday.

The two neighbouring states have not yet reached a consensus on the boundary issues, he said in written replies to questions of three opposition members of the Congress and the Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM).

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“The Centre is making efforts to resolve the border dispute between Mizoram and Assam. But it is not known when it will be resolved,” Lalchamliana said.

In pursuance of the Centre’s directive in July last year, the state government has already appointed a nodal officer for the border issue, he said.

Earlier on March 3, Lalchamliana had informed the Assembly that the state cabinet had in July 2019 approved the demarcation notified in 1875 under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873 as the actual boundary of Mizoram.

He had said that the demarcation notified under the regulation was used as a toposheet to assess the boundary between Mizoram and Assam.

The home minister claimed that there was a document that showed the erection of 46 border pillars along the boundary claimed by Mizoram as its actual boundary with Assam.

“The border pillars existed till 1884 as shown in the document. However, it is not known whether or not the pillars are still erected now,” he said.

Mizoram’s three districts Aizawl, Kolasib and Mamit share a 164.6-km inter-state border with Assam.

Several rounds of talks between the two states since 1995 have failed to yield a result.

After a massive tussle in 2018, the border row resurfaced in August last year and in February this year, which were defused after a series of parleys and with the Centre’s intervention.