BISWANATH CHARIALI, Aug 27 � A public meet was held recently at Borgang community hall under the aegis of Arunachal Agrasan Pratirodh Samiti to discuss thoroughly the age-old problem of occupation by Arunachal Pradesh along the Assam-Arunachal border under Biswanath subdivision in Sontipur district. Representatives from eight social organisations and a host of senior citizens attended the meeting and unanimously opined that construction of a �human habitation� was the only way to prevent illegal encroachment of Arunachali people.
It may be mentioned here that large-scale encroachment has been going on in Behali and Chinglijan Reserve Forests of Sonitpur district since the 1980s and, according to sources, around 3,200 hectares of land in both the reserve forests are now under encroachment by Arunachali people who have planted tea and rubber plants in large numbers, besides making permanent concrete structures.
More than seven wild elephants have been electrocuted so far in Chinglijan Reserve Forest as the Arunachal Government has set up a 11,000 volt-strong electric line throughout the forest. Though the high-level government officials of the Assam Government have been inspecting the said areas from time to time, nothing has been done to stop encroachment, though several promises were made. The public meet criticised sharply the indifferent attitude being shown by the government, particularly the Department of Forests. The speakers resolved to fight the encroachment on their own and also to organise an awareness workshop on the issue in Guwahati. The meet was presided over by the working president of the samiti, Bahadur Kayastha. The AJYCP also held another meeting on the same issue at Borgang.
BISWANATH CHARIALI, Aug 27 � A public meet was held recently at Borgang community hall under the aegis of Arunachal Agrasan Pratirodh Samiti to discuss thoroughly the age-old problem of occupation by Arunachal Pradesh along the Assam-Arunachal border under Biswanath subdivision in Sontipur district. Representatives from eight social organisations and a host of senior citizens attended the meeting and unanimously opined that construction of a �human habitation� was the only way to prevent illegal encroachment of Arunachali people.
It may be mentioned here that large-scale encroachment has been going on in Behali and Chinglijan Reserve Forests of Sonitpur district since the 1980s and, according to sources, around 3,200 hectares of land in both the reserve forests are now under encroachment by Arunachali people who have planted tea and rubber plants in large numbers, besides making permanent concrete structures.
More than seven wild elephants have been electrocuted so far in Chinglijan Reserve Forest as the Arunachal Government has set up a 11,000 volt-strong electric line throughout the forest. Though the high-level government officials of the Assam Government have been inspecting the said areas from time to time, nothing has been done to stop encroachment, though several promises were made. The public meet criticised sharply the indifferent attitude being shown by the government, particularly the Department of Forests. The speakers resolved to fight the encroachment on their own and also to organise an awareness workshop on the issue in Guwahati. The meet was presided over by the working president of the samiti, Bahadur Kayastha. The AJYCP also held another meeting on the same issue at Borgang.
