From Sandeep Sharma
GUWAHATI: Assam government will raise a commando battalion to be deployed along the Assam-Nagaland borders to maintain law and order situation in the disputed borders between the two states.
The battalion will be deputed in Dhansiri in Karbi Anglong district in view of large scale encroachment of forest land by the Nagaland side, chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma informed the state assembly replying to a supplementary question from BJP MLA Bidyasingh Engleng on Monday.
“Already, the Nagaland government has been informed about the development. These battalions will guard the natural resources in these areas,” Sarma said.
Since 2016, at least 99 cases of border disputes between Assam and Nagaland have been recorded.
Sarma said that the state government has decided to raise at least 10 commando battalions to deploy at strategic locations in the state under the new policy of recruitment of 1 lakh youth in the state.
“The inter-state border dispute is a serious concern and the state government has decided to raise 10 commando battalions to deploy at strategic places so that our natural resources can be protected. These battalions will be given operational jurisdiction so that they can do operations in the bordering areas,” Sarma said.
Earlier on June 9 addressing a police meet in Kaziranga, the chief minister said that the state police would have 10 new commando battalions on the lines of the National Security Guard (NSG) to deploy in critical places including the Assam-Nagaland border where there is a boundary row. They would be a special unit on the lines of NSG.
“Assam police will have 10 new commando battalions. They will be stationed at critical places including the Assam-Nagaland border where we have a boundary row, the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) etc. They would be a special unit comparable to NSG,” Sarma had said.
