NORTH LAKHIMPUR, May 11 � Four Assam Forest personnel, including a forester and three forest guards were abducted by their Arunachali counterparts in Duloong Reserve Forest of Lakhimpur district on Sunday. The incident occurred when the forester, Charat Das along with forest guards, Pradeep Pegu, Khirod Sonowal and Kamal Nath was patrolling inside the reserve forest on a vehicle with some labourers. The patrolling team of the Lakhimpur Forest department was stopped by the intruding forest personnel from Arunachal Pradesh and were abducted with the vehicles. The labourers, who fled from the spot, reported this to the Lakhimpur Forest department.
Immediately after the incident, the Lakhimpur district administration speeded up their efforts to secure the release of the forest personnel from the custody of Arunachal Pradesh. The abducted forest personnel were later released by Arunachal Pradesh authorities at night. It may be recalled that the Assam's forest areas in Lakhimpur district along with the border areas of Arunachal Pradesh have been witnessing regular incidents of intrusion and claims by the neighbouring state since a long time. The lack of infrastructure and adequate number of personnel has been affecting the Lakhimpur Forest department to enforce its authority on the forest areas on the inter-state borders. While the entire Arunachal Pradesh Government and administration is backing the encroachment of forest areas inside Assam's territory in Lakhimpur district, the administration here has not taken any adequate measure to stop recurring incidents of border skirmishes.
