Assam govt announces Rs 2 lakh each for 11 injured in Arunachal border firing

The Assam government on Friday, August 14, announced financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh each for the 11 people injured in an alleged firing incident along the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border in Dhemaji district.

The incident took place on August 10 near Bodoti village under Ming Mang Gaon Panchayat in Dhemaji amid a dispute over alleged land encroachment.

Assam Education Minister Ranoj Pegu said the assistance cheques would be handed over to the injured on Saturday.

“My sincere gratitude to HCM @himantabiswa for providing financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh each to the 11 persons from Bodoti village... who were injured in the gunfire incident along the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border on August 10,” Pegu said in a post on X.

Pegu had earlier visited the injured at Assam Medical College and Hospital (AMCH) in Dibrugarh to take stock of their condition.

He said one injured person had undergone surgery, while another who sustained eye injuries was scheduled to undergo surgery on Sunday.

Doctors have informed that all 11 injured persons are currently out of danger and are expected to be discharged soon, Pegu said.

The firing incident had triggered protests in Assam, with the Takam Mising Porin Kebang (TMPK), the apex student organisation of the Mising community, launching an indefinite economic blockade against Arunachal Pradesh on Wednesday.

Following discussions, protesters temporarily lifted the blockade on Thursday night and gave the authorities a 48-hour ultimatum to arrest the four accused in the firing and hand them over to Assam Police.

The incident had heightened tensions along the inter-state border, with authorities continuing efforts to identify and apprehend those allegedly involved in the firing.