Assam government dismantles two sheds along Mizoram border

The official said the site where the temporary structures were built falls in the disputed border area

The Assam government has dismantled two temporary sheds built in a disputed area in Hailakandi district along the state's border with Mizoram, following objections from the neighbouring state, officials said on Tuesday. The two sheds for labourers were erected on Sunday for proposed construction work at Kachurthal in the Barak valley district of Assam, they said. "Some Mizoram officials objected to the sheds set up for labourers. We consulted with our seniors, who suggested dismantling of the structures for peace," an official told PTI.

"The two sheds on the Assam side" were razed to the ground on Monday, and the Mizoram authorities have been informed about the step, he said.

Another official said the site where the temporary structures were built falls in the disputed border area, and talks are going on at the chief ministerial level to resolve the issue.

Assam's Barak Valley districts of Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi share a 164.6-km long border with Mizoram's three districts of Aizawl, Kolasib and Mamit.

The long-standing border dispute between the two neighbouring states stems from two colonial demarcations of 1875 and 1933.

The 1875 notification differentiated Lushai Hills from the plains of Cachar, and another of 1933 demarcated a boundary between Lushai Hills and Manipur.

Mizoram insists that the inter-state boundary should be demarcated on the basis of the 1875 notification, a corollary to the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation (BEFR) Act, 1873.

Mizoram leaders have been arguing against the 1933 demarcation, claiming that the Mizo society was not consulted then, while Assam wants that notification to be enforced.