Kohima, Aug 22: Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu and his Assam counterpart Himanta Biswa Sarma have agreed that all future activities, including plantation work, in the Disputed Area Belt (DAB) will be carried out jointly by both states.
An official statement issued by the office of the Nagaland chief secretary on Thursday said that the decision was taken following discussions between the two leaders in the wake of fresh tensions along the inter-state boundary.
The governments of Nagaland and Assam had recently undertaken a joint eviction drive to remove illegal immigrants from the DAB, it stated.
However, subsequent plantation activities initiated by Assam in the area had led to friction, prompting urgent dialogue at the highest level, the statement added.
The DAB has been a long-standing flashpoint between the two states. It stretches across several sectors along the 512-km Assam-Nagaland boundary, where claims and counterclaims over land have often led to clashes, tensions, and intermittent violence.
By resolving to take up all future activities in the DAB collectively, the two governments have reaffirmed their commitment to peace, mutual trust, and cooperation in the sensitive border region, the statement maintained.
In Guwahati, Sarma on Thursday dismissed reports of attempted encroachment by Naga people on land in Golaghat district where an eviction drive was undertaken recently, and said the Nagaland government will join a massive plantation drive in the area later this week.(PTI)
