MHA directs Assam to stop construction near Arunachal border

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs has directed the Assam government to immediately stop the construction of forest camps at disputed areas of the inter-state boundary with Arunachal Pradesh and maintain status quo, official sources said here today.
Ministry's Director (North East) Ajay Kanoujia in his directive to the commissioner and secretary (Home) of Assam has asked an immediate halt to the erection of infrastructure at Tarasso which might escalate tension in the boundary area, they said.
The ministry also requested the Assam administration to sort out the issue with due consultation with the Arunachal Pradesh government and to submit a report at the earliest.

The ministry's directive came after Home Commissioner of Arunachal Pradesh, in a letter to the ministry on April 18 last, sought its intervention in the reported erection of a new structure in the disputed inter-state boundary area by Assam forest officials.
The Commissioner, in his letter, also drew the attention of the ministry on the reported sanction of an amount of Rs 19 lakh by the Assam government for erection of forest protection camps in the area, sources disclosed.
"Construction activity by the Assam government is fanning tension in the area," the letter pointed out and urged the ministry to send a team of ministry's officials to the area to inspect the ground reality.

It may be recalled that 11 people were killed by unknown miscreants in the area on January 29 last which resulted in economic blockade by protestors in Assam against Arunachal for nearly a week.