Dibrugarh: Border area development minister Atul Bora on Tuesday visited the Dissoi Valley Reserve Forest along the Assam -Nagaland border in Mariani constituency of Jorhat district to review a situation that turned tense following allegations of land encroachment. The visit, undertaken on the direction of Chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, comes as the state govt seeks to reassure residents and maintain order in the disputed belt.During the inspection, Bora met local residents and said the govt would take necessary steps to ensure their safety. He was accompanied by Mariani MLA Rupjyoti Kurmi, Jorhat district commissioner Jay Shivani and Senior Superintendent of Police Subhrajyoti Bora. Officials said the administration is monitoring developments closely in the border area, where tensions have repeatedly surfaced over alleged encroachment of forest land.“We have come to the ground to assess the situation and ensure that the safety of border residents is not compromised. The govt is committed to protecting the people living in this sensitive border belt. Peace and security in the border area remain our top priority,” Bora said.The Dissoi Valley Reserve Forest, under the Mariani Forest Range, has long been a flashpoint in the Assam -Nagaland boundary dispute. The latest tensions follow allegations that groups from across the border have cleared forest land and raised plantations of areca nut, banana and rubber inside Assam.The area has seen earlier incidents as well. In 2021, MLA Rupjyoti Kurmi was allegedly shot at while visiting the border, after which he went on an indefinite hunger strike demanding eviction of encroachers. He later called off the protest after senior police officials from both states held talks at the site. Locals also cited a fire in parts of the same forest in March last year, blaming Naga settlers, while student bodies have previously warned of economic blockades over the issue.In 2021, Assam and Nagaland agreed to withdraw forces from the disputed area and maintain status quo after talks aimed at de-escalating tensions in the Dissoi Valley Reserve Forest, a step chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma described as historic.Residents in the Mariani border belt remain anxious after the latest flare-up, and the administration’s visit is being viewed as an effort to restore confidence and prevent further escalation.
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