Assam-Mizoram border encroachment: Cachar Forest Division approaches judiciary

Silchar, Jul 14: In a major development amidst fresh tension brewing at the Assam-Mizoram interstate border along the areas surrounding Barak Valley, the Cachar Forest Division has approached the judiciary alleging that repeated efforts of trespassing and encroachment into Assam territory falling under the Cachar Forest Division has caused significant damage to the Assam's Inner Line Reserve Forest land.

In a report submitted before the court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate in Silchar, Cachar Divisional Forest Officer Sunnydeo Choudhury has stated that some officials of the Government of Mizoram have been alleged of trespassing, destruction of forest cover and illegal construction of road inside the Inner Line Reserve Forest causing damage to forest land under various sections of the Assam Forest Regulation, 1891.

"We understand there are bilateral talks going on between Assam and Mizoram State Governments at New Delhi to find a plausible solution regarding the interstate border dispute. However, amidst the occurrences, we witnessed the continuous offence caused by the efforts by Mizoram to encroach Assam land because of which our forest areas have been destroyed. This cannot be tolerated. We have been requesting them on multiple occasions but they did not respond to our requests following which we had to resort to this step. In the offence report filed before the honourable CJM court, at least three officials including officials from Mizoram police have been accused under various sections of Assam Forest Regulation, 1891 amended up to 1995," the Cachar DFO maintained.

Further the DFO mentioned that "on conviction, the offenders shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which is not less than three years and may extend to seven years or with fine which is not less than Five Thousand rupees or with both."