NORTH LAKHIMPUR, July 17 - Tension has been building up since Monday among people living in areas of State boundary between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh in Lakhimpur district following the laying of a foundation stone by Arunachal Pradesh government for setting up a model village inside Ranga reserve forest.
The Minister of Forest, Ecology and Soil Management of Arunachal Pradesh, Nobam Rebia along with Deputy Commissioner of Papumpare district of Arunachal Pradesh laid the foundation stone of a proposed model village under Chief Minister�s Model Gram Yojna, a Centrally-funded programme, at Dengkabasti under Kachajuli Forest Beat of Ranga reserve forest under Laluk police station, Lakhimpur on Monday.
There was a brief tussle between the convoy carrying the officials of Arunachal Pradesh and the minister and police led by Laluk OC Ajeet Kumar Bhuyan as the latter stopped them on their way to the foundation stone laying site at Dengkabasti. Later, they were allowed to go and take part in the foundation laying ceremony after Lakhimpur Deputy Commissioner Dr Jeevan B and Additional Superintendent of Police Patrick Ronghang arrived on the spot. On Saturday, a team of Forest department personnel from Harmutty Forest Range sent back people of Arunachal Pradesh for allegedly encroaching land on Assam�s side at Dengkabasti, Lakhimpur.
