SIVASAGAR, Aug 25 - Jishnu Baruah, Commissioner, Home , Government of Assam, visited the Asssam-Nagaland border area under Geleki PS on August 23 and took stock of the development works along the border in the wake of the increasing border tussles between the two neighbouring States at a time when talks between the Centre and NSCN( IM) are dragging on.
Baruah during his visit, studied the plight of the small tea growers in the region regularly vandalised by Naga intruders, endemic problems of the border villages, the BOP, stationed at Singibeel and the horrible road condition in the area. He directed the Sivasagar Deputy Commissioner Lakhinandan Gogoi to evict all illegal settlers in Assam land and do a proper review of the encroachment problem.
The Home Commissioner was accompanied by SP Sivasagar, Amitabh Sinha, Nazira SDO Sampreety Goswami, SDPO, Nazira Dipjyoti Talukdar and Border Magistrate Rajiv Sonowal. They were received by Thunuk Gogoi, vice president, All Assam Small Tea Growers Association, Biman Hazarika, Biswajit Gogoi and other tea growers of the region and urged them to take appropriate steps to contain the Naga encroachers.
It may be noted that Naga groups backed by Naga extremists, Church and even Nagaland government, have been violating the terms of the accord between the two neighbouring States on April 2, 1972, especially the clause 5 which refers to mutual commitment not to disturb the ecosystem of Doiyang, Desoi, Abhoyapur and Geleki Reserve Forests and evict all encroachers there. But the incidents of rampant encroachments by the Nagas on these forest lands from Kanubari to Amguri along the border continue to be reported in the media from time to time. Repeated protests from the government of Assam have had absolutely no effect on the encroachers so far.
