Patton says Nagaland prioritising border issue; Cabinet proposes Special Border Response Force

KOHIMA — Deputy Chief Minister Y Patton, who also holds the Home portfolio, laid out the timeline of the recent eviction drive in the Disputed Area Belt (DAB) along the Nagaland–Assam border, assuring that the government is giving “topmost priority” to the issue.

Making a statement under Rule 55 in the Assembly on Thursday, Patton said that the first information of a survey for eviction in a Reserve Forest area was received on July 16, 2025. The state government, he said, immediately began monitoring the situation under the supervision of the chief minister.

On July 17, Nagaland’s border magistrate at Uriamghat raised the matter with his counterpart in Surapathar and conducted on-site verification. A joint coordination meeting followed on July 22 between the deputy commissioners and superintendents of police of Niuland and Wokha, and their counterparts in Golaghat, Assam.

Patton led a delegation to the affected areas in Wokha and Niuland on July 24 to interact with residents.

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The state Cabinet met on July 30 and decided that eviction drives should be conducted jointly by Nagaland and Assam authorities to prevent unilateral action and curb influx of illegal immigrants.

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On August 21, reports emerged of plantation exercises and erection of boundary pillars in evicted areas under Wokha district by Assam’s Forest Department, which led to objections from local residents. In response, Nagaland’s chief secretary communicated that all such activities must be carried out jointly by the two states. A second DC-level meeting was held in Golaghat the same day.

Further, on the chief minister’s direction, Patton, along with MLAs Mhonbemo Humtsoe and Achumbemo Kikon and senior officials, met Assam’s minister for environment, forest and climate change and other representatives on August 23. Both sides agreed that no further plantation or pillar erection would take place until the matter was decided at the chief ministerial level.

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Nagaland Cabinet met again on August 26, deciding that illegal immigrants must be evicted and any plantation works in DAB carried out jointly with Assam. It also resolved to write to the union home ministry regarding the continued presence of Assam Police in DAB, which it said violated the 1972 Interim Agreement.

According to Patton, Assam currently maintains 45 permanent police posts in DAB, compared to Nagaland’s temporary posts after withdrawing five permanent ones set up prior to 1972.

Read more: Eviction drive carried out in disputed Nagaland-Assam border area

The Cabinet also decided to seek changes in the operational control of the neutral force (CRPF), presently under the ADGP (Border) Assam, and proposed the creation of a Special Border Response Force comprising personnel from border affairs, police and forest departments.

In this context, Patton said the state government is continuously pursuing the matter as the “topmost priority” at both central and state levels. He urged civil society, the public and the media to verify information from official sources and not rely on unsubstantiated reports.

“Any authentic information or clarification on this matter can always be acquired from official government sources,” he added.