Over 843 sq.km Assam land encroached by other states: Minister

A total of 843.50 square Kms of Assam's land has been encroached upon by the neighbouring states, an state Minister said in the Assembly on Monday.

Assam Parliamentary Affairs Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary said this replying to a question by Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) legislator Ramendra Narayan Kalita.

The Minister admitted in the House that the government is aware about the continued aggression of state's land by neighbouring states and said that incidents of similar nature have been taking place despite several instructions to the Deputy Commissioners and Superintendents of Police in districts having inter-state borders for maintaining high level of alertness.

"The government has instructed all the DCs and SPs of districts having inter-state borders to clear the encroachment by neighbouring states and to stop any possible attempts to encroach upon state's land," said Patowary, adding that instructions have also been given to ensure that fresh encroachment does not take place in areas where it has been cleared.

He said that the government has already established 81 border outposts (BOPs) for the purpose and deployed 40 companies, two platoons and one section of Assam Police and paramilitary forces. "Besides these BOPs, the government has also taken up steps to set up 34 new BOPs," he said.

He said that the government of Assam has also been holding bilateral talks with the states that shares inter-state border with Assam and added that different cases filed in this regard are also at different stages of trial in the Supreme court.- IANS