Hailakandi, Nov 19: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has started an inquiry into the border dispute of Assam and Mizoram in Hailakandi and Cachar districts of Barak Valley in South Assam. During the last couple of days, NIA officials have visited the Ramnathpur area in Hailakandi district bordering Mizoram.
It can be mentioned here that the NIA is India's counter-terrorist task force. The agency is empowered to deal with terror related crimes across states without special permission from the states. The senior police officials here confirmed the presence of NIA in the border for inquiry.
The NIA officials have mainly been investigating the bomb blasts in the schools of both Hailakandi and Cachar districts during the last couple of years. Six cops and a civilian have also died in the firing on the border in Cachar. Mizoram has allegedly encroached thousands of hectares of Assam land. Series of talks between both the states have already taken place in presence of top brass of union Home ministry but the border dispute is yet to end though both the parties agree to sort it out amicably.
Meanwhile, the MLA of Katlicherra Suzam Uddin Laskar demanded the release of betel nut loaded forty trucks in Ramnathpur area of Hailakandi district in the Mizoram border. Laskar said that the police have detained forty trucks loaded with raw betel nut in the border entrance from Mizoram. He said that this is unfortunate because all the truck drivers and businessmen are very poor and earn bread and butter through this business. He said that there is nothing illegal to bring raw betel nuts from Mizoram for business purposes. The officer in charge of Ramnathpur police station, Liton Nath informed that there is a direction from higher authorities to stop the entry of betel nut trucks.
