Assam-Mizoram border impasse on, war of words continues

Aizawl/Silchar, Nov 1 : As the blockade on National Highway 306, the lifeline of Mizoram, continued for the fifth day on Sunday, Assam and Mizoram engaged in accusation and counter accusation over the 23-day long inter-state border standoff.
Officials in Silchar said that southern Assam’s Cachar Deputy Commissioner (DC) Keerthi Jalli in a letter again asked northern Mizoram’s Kolasib district DC H. Lalthangliana to withdraw the Mizoram forces from the Assam territory as the forces’ presence disturb the “local peace and normalcy”.
“Mizoram police are digging up bunker like structures and increased the strength of security personnel inside Assam territory at Kulicherra area,” the Cachar DC in her letter mentioned.
Mizoram Chief Secretary Lalnunmawia Chuaungo in a letter to his Assam counterpart Jishnu Barua said that the blockade on the NH 306 continued despite assurance from Assam government during the virtual meeting held under the chairmanship of Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla last week.
Chuaungo requested Barua, who took over Assam Chief Secretary’s charge on Saturday, to provide security escort to the oil tankers and vehicles carrying POL (petroleum, oil, lubricant) and cooking gas.
The Mizoram government has taken steps to ferry transport fuel and cooking gas from neighbouring Manipur and Tripura. Mizoram’s Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister K. Lalrinliana said that two trucks have been sent to Manipur to bring LPG cylinders and five more oil tankers are being sent to the state.