Nagaland Cabinet sub-committee
Cabinet sub-committee convenor and health and family welfare minister S. Pangnyu Phom addressing villagers of the disputed area on Saturday. Image credit - Northeast Now

The Cabinet sub-committee, constituted by the State government to finalise demarcation of boundary between Dimapur and Peren districts, visited the disputed areas and neighbouring villages on Saturday.

Led by the convenor and health & family welfare minister S. Pangnyu Phom, the committee members interacted with both the parties in dispute at Lamhai Namdhi and adjoining villages, a release said on Sunday.

The Cabinet sub-committee members asked the villagers to submit all relevant documents to the committee through their respective deputy commissioners.

On September 6, miscreants fired over 200 gunshots in a newly established village at a contested site near Peren-Dimapur border, before resorting to burning down the makeshift huts after the villagers fled into the jungles.

There were no reports of casualty.

The incident occurred at the newly established Lamhai Namdhi village, about 9 km from Jalukie town in Peren district.

Six makeshift huts were completely burnt down and an inter-denominational church was partially burnt by the miscreants.

The members said the committee was not formed particularly for pockets of disputed areas but for amicable demarcation of the entire Dimapur and Peren district boundary.

They said based on the documents and evidences submitted by the parties and after due consultation with all stakeholders, a final decision will be taken.

Phom requested both the parties to maintain peace and extend all possible help and cooperation to the committee.

Besides Phom, the committee consists of three other Cabinet ministers Neiba Kronu, Paiwang Konyak and Metsubo Jamir.

On September 10, Nagaland deputy chief minister Y. Patton, accompanied by State police chief T.J. Longkumer, visited the disputed area and met the vilagers.

Patton, who also holds the home portfolio, lamented that during the creation of Peren district, proper demarcation was not done owing to which half of the disputed areas lies in Dimapur district and the other half in Peren district.

This has made the matter more complicated, he said.

Bhadra Gogoi is Northeast Now Correspondent in Nagaland. He can be reached at: [email protected]