Border area development minister Atul Bora visited the Dissoi Valley Reserve Forest along the Assam–Nagaland border in Mariani constituency of Jorhat district on Tuesday to assess rising tensions after allegations of land encroachment. The visit, made at the direction of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, was aimed at reassuring residents and maintaining order in the disputed belt.
During the inspection, Bora met local residents and officials and said the government would take necessary steps to ensure their safety. He was accompanied by Mariani MLA Rupjyoti Kurmi, Jorhat district commissioner Jay Shivani and Senior Superintendent of Police Subhrajyoti Bora. Officials said the administration is monitoring developments closely in the border area, where disputes over forest land have repeatedly triggered tension.
“We have come to the ground to assess the situation and ensure that the safety of border residents is not compromised. The government is committed to protecting the people living in this sensitive border belt. Peace and security in the border area remain our top priority,” Bora said.
The Dissoi Valley Reserve Forest, part of the Mariani Forest Range, has long been a flashpoint in the Assam–Nagaland boundary dispute. The latest flare-up follows allegations that groups from across the border have cleared forest land and established plantations of areca nut, banana and rubber inside Assam. Authorities described these claims as the immediate cause of recent unrest.
The area has a history of confrontations. In 2021, MLA Rupjyoti Kurmi was allegedly shot at while visiting the border and subsequently staged an indefinite hunger strike demanding eviction of encroachers; he later called off the protest after talks between senior police officials of both states. Locals also reported a forest fire in parts of Dissoi Valley in March last year, blaming Naga settlers, and student bodies have threatened economic blockades over the dispute.
In 2021, Assam and Nagaland agreed to withdraw forces from the disputed area and maintain the status quo after talks intended to de-escalate tensions, a move Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had called historic. Residents in the Mariani border belt remain anxious after the latest incidents, and the administration’s visit is being presented as an effort to restore confidence and prevent further escalation.
Original Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/guwahati/atul-bora-visits-dissoi-valley-forest-amid-assam-nagaland-border-tensions/articleshow/132121865.cms
Category:
Tags:
Publish Date: 2026-07-01 23:34:00
