Assam reclaims 200 hectares of land from Mizoram encroachers

Guwahati, Aug 4 (PTI) Assam government on Wednesday informed state assembly that it has reclaimed 200 hectares of land in Inner Line Reserve Forest from encroachers of Mizoram a few days ago.

state government h last month said in House that nearly 1,800 hectares of Assam land have been encroached by people of neighbouring Mizoram.

In reply to a query by AIUDF MLA Suzam Uddin Laskar, Border Area Development Minister Atul Bora said that Forest Department in association with Assam Police cleared 200 hectares of land inside Inner Line Reserve Forest.

Bora also said that miscreants from Mizoram set ablaze 27 houses at Jalnacherra village in Hailakandi district of Assam on February 9 this year, affecting 20 indigenous families.

He furr informed House that miscreants also torched a few houses on July 25 at Bilaipur-Dhalcherra of Hailakandi.

In Hailakandi district, around 1,000 hectares of Inner Line Reserve Forest have been encroached by people from Mizoram for a long time, Bora said.

On July 12, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma h told Assembly that nearly 1,800 hectares of Assam land spre across three districts have been encroached by people of Mizoram.

Out of this, largest area of 1,000 hectares has been encroached in Hailakandi district, followed by 400 hectares in Cachar and 377.58 hectares in Karimganj, he h said.

A clash between police forces of Assam and Mizoram on disputed border area in Cachar district on July 26 left seven people - six Assam Police personnel and a civilian - de and over 50 ors injured.

In a written reply to a separate query by AIUDF MLA Aminul Islam on Wednesday, Bora said that Assam shares 884.9 km border with Meghalaya, 804.1 km with Arunachal Presh, 512.1 km with Nagaland, 204.1 km with Manipur, 164.6 km with Mizoram, 127 km with West Bengal and 46.3 km with Tripura.

Assam also has a 267.5 km long international border with Banglesh and 265.8 km with Bhutan, minister informed House. PTI TR NN NN