Our Correspondent
Diphu, Aug. 4 (EMN): The leaders of various student organisations of the district, who visited Disapur area under Sankartila Border Outpost (BoP) inside Doldoli State Reserve Forest of Karbi Anglong have found large scale encroachment of forest land inside Doldoli RF by people from neighbouring Nagaland state and demanded that government should take up eviction drive to flush out encroachers from forest land.
The leaders of various student organisations comprising of Karbi Students Association (KSA-Inglongpho, Karbi Students Union (KSU), All Dimasa Students Union (ADSU), Karbi Students and Youth Council (KSYC) and Diphu Regional Students Union of AASU have visited the border areas of Disapur inside Doldoli RF and there were reports of fresh encroachment of forest land by people from Nagaland.
In a hurriedly called press conference in the evening at KSA office, here on Saturday by the leaders of the five student organisations, KSA president, Bijoy Bey said, “on getting reports that large scale encroachment is taking place inside Doldoli RF, our team comprising of leaders of KSA, KSU, KSYC, AASU and ADSU visited the place and to our amazement saw large scale of forest land being encroached by people from Nagaland. There were road constructions, permanent building construction, playgrounds and agriculture activities inside forest land.
“The encroachment along the Assam-Nagaland border inside Doldoli RF is not a new thing for the Assam government. We want to know from the state government whether there is no development schemes and plans for protection of its border land, Bey questioned.
ADSU, president, Pabitra Nunisa told media persons that the last eviction drive taken up by Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) was in 2014, but during those five years there was no eviction drive taken up by government and large scale encroachment is taking place.
He said the Nagaland government should also take concern about this development in Doldoli RF to stop people from entering forest land inside Karbi Anglong illegally. He also said that the Goverment of Nagaland and Assam Government should come out with border issue.
We want to live in peace and tranquility. Nunisa also said, the government of Nagaland should stop people from Nagaland to enter Karbi Anglong.
One of the persons of ADSU, who was in the team today, told this reporter that in 2014 after the eviction drive was done and through a mutual understanding between the government of Assam and Nagaland had agreed to erect border pillars as border demarcation.
But on visiting today found those pillars missing. “There were border pillars No.1,2,3,4,5 and 6 erected in 2014. But we saw Pillar No.1 laying on the ground, while pillars No.2,3,4 and 5 are missing. Though pillar No.6 is there at the place, but buried under the thick bushes,” he said.
People from Nagaland have entered more than 1 k.m. inside Doldoli RF encroaching the land. They have started building permanent buildings and roads, he said.
It was also told in the media conference by the student leaders that in 2014 the Assam government has decided to construct road along the border.
The DC, Karbi Anglong at that time told that money has sanctioned for constructing border road, but till today the roads are not seen at all.
There is no adequate police force in BoP and lacking from other facilities.
On the other hand KSU, president, George Timung blamed the Assam police for its highhandedness towards the student leaders while visiting the border today.
He said, “When we reached Doldoli RF, we requested the incharge Nath of Sankartila BoP to accompany us. But he refused. Later, the (Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) along with his men came to Lahorijan and questioned us why we were here.
He asked another police man to take our names to arrest us. This is what the police staying in the border are doing to protect the border all these years, Timung questioned.
The student leaders demanded that pillars should be erected and fresh eviction drive by State government as well as KAAC authority should take up immediately.
There should be a proper border demarcation and to tell from the government side what are the schemes available for border development.
They also demanded that border roads and fencing should be constructed immediately. An additional BoP camp as agreed in 2014 has not set-up and the Assam government should do it, they demanded.
