Arunachal Pradesh’s Land Management Minister, Balo Raja, has urged for collaborative efforts to resolve the long-standing boundary dispute with Assam. Chairing a regional border committee meeting in Papum Pare district on Tuesday, the minister emphasized the need for a concrete roadmap to address the issue. “We all need to share information and intelligence as stakeholders,” Raja said, encouraging open dialogue among local MLAs, the district administration, and various forums. He stressed that maintaining positive ties with Assam is critical for a peaceful resolution.
The minister urged stakeholders to complete their assigned tasks by the end of October to facilitate discussions with Assam’s regional committees by January 2025. Doimukh MLA Nabam Vivek highlighted the importance of teamwork and field surveys in consultation with the Border People’s Forum to address local concerns. He has already initiated talks with Assam MLAs representing border constituencies and aims to hold meetings with Lakhimpur and Biswanath district officials by November.
Papum Pare Deputy Commissioner Jiken Bomjen stressed the need to uphold the MoU signed during the 2022 Namsai Declaration, which reduced the number of disputed villages from 123 to 86. He called for vigilance in border areas until a resolution is reached. The Assam-Arunachal boundary issue, involving a 804.1 km long border, has been in contention for decades. The dispute dates back to Arunachal Pradesh’s formation as a union territory in 1972, and while efforts have been made to resolve it, the matter remains pending in the Supreme Court.
