AIZAWL, Jan 23 (PTI): The Mizoram government has formed a study group headed by an expert from Mizoram University (MZU) to study and collect relevant information on its claimed border areas to be furnished to the Assam government, an official statement said.
The study group was the follow-up of a decision made during the border talks between Mizoram and Assam held at Guwahati in November last year.
The meeting of a boundary committee chaired by Mizoram home minister Lalchamliana appointed Prof J Doungel, a political science teacher from MZU as the study group’s convener, while joint secretary in the Home department Lalthiamsanga was appointed as member secretary, the official statement said.
The study group will study and collect the list of villages, their areas, geo-spatial extent, and ethnicity of the people and other relevant information to support its claim on the state’s boundary.
During the border talks held on November 17 last year, both states had decided that Mizoram will furnish the list of villages, their areas, geo-spatial extent, and ethnicity of the people and other relevant information within three months to support its claim which can be examined by setting up regional committees from both sides to arrive at an amicable resolution to the vexed border issues.
The boundary committee involving political parties and other stakeholders was formed by the government after the violent clash in July 2021.
It is the highest authority on issues related to Mizoram-Assam boundary.
The meeting also decided that other members will also be appointed in the study group as necessary besides land revenue and settlement, environment, forest & climate change departments and Mizoram Remote Sensing Application Centre (MIRSAC) officials.
Lalchamliana told the meeting that Mizoram was firm on the inner line reserved forest notified in 1875 as its boundary.
Mizoram shares a 164.6 km long border with Assam.
The border dispute between the two states is a long standing and vexed issue which remained unresolved for decades.
The border dispute turned ugly on July 26, 2021 when police forces of both states exchanged fire leading to the death of six policemen and a civilian from Assam.
