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Our Correspondent
Diphu, Nov. 14 (EMN): Karbi Anglong authorities on Saturday claimed that massive encroachment is taking place inside Daldali reserve forest in the Assam-Nagaland border, 50 km away from the district headquarters, Diphu.
At the directive of the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC), the east division of Forest department led by the divisional forest officer (DFO), Jaganath Rongpi and the assistant conservator of forest (ACF), Prahlad Kro, visited pillar No. 1 of Daldali reserve forest, “where encroachment has been taking place from Nagaland side”.
They were accompanied by the deputy commissioner (DC) of Karbi Anglong, Ng Chandra Dhwaj Singha; the superintendent of police, Debojit Deori, and the principal chief conservator of forest (PCCF), Dr. Abhijit Rabha.
Speaking to reporters after the inspection, they said that pillar No.1 erected by the Forest department of Karbi Anglong has been removed by the encroachers.
The pillar was installed at Lengrijan river, below the RCC bridge. At this border point, a welcome gate has been erected from Nagaland side, they said.
According to the officials, large-scale encroachment is taking place at pillar No. 1 and 2.
It was alleged that from Nagaland side, two IRB camps have been set up at pillar No.1 and 2. They said that utility poles have been erected inside the forest and roads have constructed from the other side.
The officials further said that houses have been constructed and ‘they have named the encroached area as Rilan village’.
The PCCF, Dr. Rabha, said that there is already encroachment taking place inside Daldali reserve forest but the ‘exact area of encroachment committed by Nagaland’ will be known only after reading the map.
He added that it will be disclosed very soon.
The DC, Singha said, “I have been talking with the DC, Dimapur,that a district-level meeting of both sides has to be convened to solve the border dispute with Nagaland.”
When asked about the area of alleged encroachment, the DC said: “Right now, I cannot tell exactly how much land has been occupied by Nagaland, but I will have a meeting with DC, Dimapur on the matter.”
It may be noted that various organisations based in Karbi Anglong have threatened to impose a four-hour economic blockade on Nagaland, on November 20, if the state governments fail to come up with a solution to the Assam-Nagaland border issue.