Tensions have flared along the inter-state border as non-tribal traders purchasing locally grown areca nut in Mizoram accused Assam Police personnel of actively blocking the transportation and sale of their produce into neighbouring Assam. The allegations have sparked calls for high-level government intervention to prevent mounting economic losses for farmers and regional merchants.
The disruption came to light after Samim Barbhuya, an areca nut trader based in Assam, reported that he and several other merchants were intercepted on Thursday at the Phaisen check gate. Barbhuya stated that despite legally purchasing the harvest in Bilkhawthlir, located in Mizoram’s Kolasib district, police personnel stopped their vehicles and forced them to turn back into Mizoram without clear justification.
In response to the escalating bottleneck, the Mizoram Kuhva Chingtu Pawl (MKCP), an apex body of local areca nut cultivators, appealed to Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma to address the issue directly with Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. The growers’ association urged the two chief ministers to negotiate uninterrupted transit between both states for locally harvested areca nuts, alongside other key cash crops including ginger, chilli, rubber, and hatkora, a semi-wild citrus fruit.
Compounding the transit obstacles, wholesale merchants transporting consignments toward Silchar in Assam’s Cachar district via Baghabazar alleged widespread extortion by Assam Police at multiple security checkpoints. According to traders, personnel at the Lailapur police check gate demanded an entry fee of Rs 100 plus Rs 20 per bag, while officials at the Dholai check gate extorted an additional sum of at least Rs 5,000 per shipment. Furthermore, traders reported that Assam authorities insisted on the payment of Goods and Services Tax on the agricultural goods.
The targeted restrictions have drawn sharp criticism from local cultivators in Bilkhawthlir, who pointed out a glaring double standard in inter-state commerce. Growers questioned why agricultural produce from Assam, such as tomatoes, cabbages, and cauliflowers, enjoys unrestricted movement into Mizoram, while crops cultivated in Mizoram continue to face severe blockades, extortion, and official harassment upon entering Assam.
Original Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/guwahati/assam-police-obstruct-sale-transportation-of-mizoram-gown-areca-nuts-traders/articleshow/135618352.cms
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Publish Date: 2026-11-07 00:03:00
