AIZAWL: A fresh round of chief ministerial level talks between Assam and Mizoram over the interstate border disputes is likely to be held soon.
According to sources, Assam has sent a proposal to the Mizoram government for holding the fourth round of CM-level talks.
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The Mizoram government is, however, yet to respond to the proposal sent by Assam, the sources said.
Mizoram and Assam have held three rounds of ministerial-level talks to resolve the long pending inter-state border dispute.
Besides, the two neighbouring states have also held virtual meetings on several occasions.
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Earlier, Mizoram home minister Lalchamliana had said that at least 62 villages located along the state’s border with Assam as its boundary or within its territory.
The Mizoram home minister said that the 62 villages are within the inner line reserved forest notified under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation (BEFR) in 1875.
The home minister said that Mizoram’s claim, which included the 62 villages, was submitted to the Assam government in February.
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Although the Mizoram government submitted its claim that includes 62 villages within the inner line reserve forest to Assam in February, it is waiting for a response from the neighbouring state, Lalchamlian had said.
Mizoram has claimed a 509 square miles area of inner line reserved forest notified under the BEFR as its actual boundary since a long time back.
Assam on the other hand, claimed that the boundary as per a survey of India’s map in 1933 is its constitutional boundary.
Three districts of Mizoram – Aizawl, Kolasib and Mamit districts share a 164.6 km long inter-state border with three Assam districts – Cachar, Hailakandi and Karimganj.
The border dispute between the two Northeastern states is a long pending issue, which remains unresolved till today.
In the firing that occurred on July 26, 2021, 7 people, including 6 policemen from Assam were killed and around 60 people from both the states were injured.
Following the incident, the two neighbouring states began high-level delegation talks from August 2021 to resolve the vexed border dispute.
In the last border talks held in Guwahati in November last year, both delegations had decided that Mizoram will furnish the list of villages, their areas, geospatial 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.
In January, the Mizoram government formed a study group and submitted its claim the next month.
Mizoram chief minister Zoramthanga and his Assam counterpart Himanta Biswa Sarma had also met twice in New Delhi in November 2021 and September last year to find an amicable solution to the border dispute.