JORHAT, April 25 � Senior officers of Jorhat district administration and police today discussed with their counterparts from bordering Mokokchung district of Nagaland, encroachment by Naga miscreants in Rongkham and many other adjacent areas of Tiru Hills, posing a serious threat to the Assam villagers since the early part of February this year.
�After the discussion the Mokokchung administration today assured us of evicting within two-three days the huts which were built in the vicinity of Rongkham by some Naga people for jhum (shifting) cultivation. For providing security to the villagers of Rongkham and other adjacent areas, additional forces are being deployed. The situation is peaceful,� said Jorhat Deputy Commissioner Solanki Vishal Vasant.
Along with the DCs of Jorhat and Mokokchung, the superintendants of police of both the bordering districts participated in the discussion this afternoon at Rongkham village in Jorhat district.
Several villagers of the localities on the Assam side of the inter-state border alleged that armed Naga groups had threatened them of dire consequences if they prevented the encroachment. A few days ago Congress MLA of Mariani constituency Rupjyoti Kurmi had alleged that the district administration did not take up adequate measures to protect the interests of the villagers who have been residing in the localities near the Tiru Hills Reserved Forest for generations.
Citing official data of large-scale encroachment by Naga miscreants in Tiru Hills Reserved Forest and two other reserved forests in Jorhat district � Desoi Valley Reserved Forest and Desoi Reserved Forest � MLA Kurmi alleged that out of the total 25,037.146 hectares of land area of the three reserved forests, over 18,651.29 hectares were under encroachment. According to him neither the officials of the State forest department nor the Jorhat district administration took any initiative for evicting the Naga miscreants allegedly occupying those areas.
At today�s discussion the Jorhat Deputy Commissioner said that the Jorhat district administration would remove all the illegally built huts from the encroached areas on Tiru Hills RF if the Mokokchung administration fails to compel the illegal dwellers from Nagaland to return to their own villages in Mokokchung within two or three days.
