Arunachal denies surrendering land in Assam boundary settlement process
Home Minister Mama Natung stated the boundary settlement with Assam resulted in a net territorial gain for Arunachal Pradesh, with demarcation work underway.
Mama Natung in Assembly (Photo - @NatungMama / X)
Itanagar, March 11: Arunachal Pradesh Home and Inter-State Affairs Minister Mama Natung on Tuesday informed the Assembly that the State has not surrendered any land or forest to Assam as part of the ongoing boundary settlement process.
Replying to a question raised by MLA Wanglin Lowangdong, Natung said the boundary settlement exercise has been carried out through structured dialogue, joint verification by regional committees, and mutual agreement under the Namsai Declaration and the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Arunachal Pradesh and Assam on April 20, 2023.
He informed the House that the State Government had reconstituted six regional committees to examine the status of the boundary dispute. These committees cover Pakke Kessang, Papum Pare, Kamle, Lower Siang, Lower Dibang Valley and Longding districts.
The first meeting of the reconstituted committees was held on September 26, 2024, where it was decided to begin joint inspections with corresponding regional committees of Assam.
Natung said that survey and demarcation works, including the erection of boundary pillars, has begun in phases, with Pakke Kessang selected as the first district for implementation. The demarcation work started on February 9, 2026, and the first inter-State boundary pillar was erected on February 22.
He further stated that following the Namsai Declaration, there has been an overall net territorial gain for Arunachal Pradesh along the inter-State boundary with Assam.
According to the minister, the finalised boundary settlement covers eight districts – West Kameng, Pakke Kessang, Lower Siang, East Siang, Lower Dibang Valley, Lohit, Namsai and Tirap – and the State has achieved a clear net gain in territory.
Addressing concerns about the Tirap sector, Natung clarified that the issue has already been settled as per the MoU signed on April 20, 2023. Quoting the relevant provision of the MoU, he said there is no claimed village along the Tirap-Tinsukia boundary, and the HPTC-delineated constitutional boundary will be followed. In the Tirap-Dibrugarh sector, the Namsang Tea Estate will remain with Assam, while the HPTC boundary will be adhered to.
He said this position is consistent with the report submitted by the regional committees, and the final boundary demarcation on the ground will be carried out in coordination with similar processes in other districts.