Assam and Nagaland governments discussed the issue of inter-State border dispute and both the states have agreed to take effective steps for maintaining peace along the border.
The law-enforcing agencies of both the States will improve coordination to check drug trafficking and movement of insurgents, said officials.
A chief secretary-level meeting of both the States was held in Dimapur on Friday to discuss issues like inter-State border and coordination between the States in areas of mutual interest.
“The Assam government has proposed joint patrolling by police personnel of both the States along the inter-State boundary areas to ensure peace along the border and the Government of Nagaland has accepted the proposal on principle,” The Assam Tribune quoted Assam chief secretary Kumar Sanjay Krishna as saying.
He said at present, Assam Police, Nagaland Police and personnel of the neutral forces deployed in a few sectors of the border carry out patrolling separately and unscrupulous elements take advantage of the situation.
The chief secretary said the situation would improve considerably when the police forces of both the States start joint patrolling.
Though a case regarding border dispute between both the States is pending before the Supreme Court, the Chief Secretary said that in recent times, the border areas remained more or less peaceful apart from a few minor incidents like land grabbing, attempts to set up schools or offices in each others’ territories, etc.
Such issues are normally settled in meetings between the border magistrates of concerned deputy commissioners of both the States.
Frequency of meetings between the border magistrates and deputy commissioners of the bordering districts will be increased to deal with such issues.
There have also been instances where militants, particularly those belonging to United Liberation Front of Asom (Independent) sneak into Assam through their bases in Myanmar through Nagaland and this issue was also discussed in the meeting.