Leader of the opposition in Assam Debabrata Saikia has asked chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal to take urgent steps to stop encroachment by Nagas at the interstate border in Nazira subdivision.
Saikia in a letter to the Chief Minister on Monday apprised him of the continued incursions by Naga miscreants at the Bihubor area of Nazira, and the possibility of impending violence.
Saikia said that a letter signed by about 60 people of the Bihubor area had apprised him of the encroachment activities which had escalated of late and the intimidating tactics being used by the encroachers from Nagaland. He had also enclosed this letter to Sonowal.
Saikia further said as Sonowal holds the Home portfolio he should take feedback from the district administration and the OC and SDPO of Nazira police station for a clear picture and safeguard the property and lives of the people of Assam and territorial integrity of Assam at all costs. He should also hold discussions with the Nagaland chief minister who is also an ally of BJP, Saikia said.
In his letter, Saikia stated that on May 24 miscreants from Nagaland had cut down tea bushes of the Ouguri tea estate and erected huts in the area overnight. However, the local people with the Bihubor police had managed to reclaim the area the next day. But the cutting of tea bushes still continues.
Saikia stated that the miscreants had already occupied a cemetery located inside Assam.
The letter further said that there was a belief that these encroachers were working for money at the behest of some businessmen who were engaged in illegal quarrying of stone and illegal mining of coal under political patronage. This activity was on at the Dikhow river at Ougurijan and had spread to the Ouguri tea estate with the objective of making the area a disputed one and later be occupied by the businessmen so that they could continue their illegal activities without opposition.
Saikia said that not only did this entail a loss of revenue for the state but also destroy the environment and that he had written to the forest department in this connection in January this year.
However, no action had been taken and the encroachment activity was most likely a result of stepped up illegal activities by these unscrupulous businessmen.
Saikia asked the chief minister to take necessary action to stop all such activities.