Tripura-Mizoram border issue likely to be resolved soon, joint technical team to aid demarcation

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on September 11 expressed confidence that the long-pending inter-state boundary issue with Mizoram will be resolved soon, following a series of discussions between officials of the two states.

Speaking on the issue, Saha said he and his Mizoram counterpart had earlier discussed the boundary dispute and agreed to work towards finding a solution. He said he subsequently suggested that the matter first be taken up at the official level before another Chief Minister-level meeting.

Mizoram officials arrived in Tripura on September 9 and held discussions with their counterparts. A Home Secretary-level meeting between the two states was also held in Agartala on September 10 to discuss mechanisms for resolving the boundary issue.

“I believe the solution would happen soon,” Chief Minister Saha said.

According to state government officials, both sides have agreed to maintain status quo on the ground in the Phuldungsai Village Council area of Tripura’s North District. Routine developmental activities may continue in the area, while any special project proposed there will be intimated to the other state.

The two sides have also agreed to refrain from unilateral attempts at demarcation. The Survey of India will be involved in any future joint demarcation exercise.

As part of the agreed mechanism, a Joint Technical Team will be constituted comprising the Directors of the Directorate of Land Records and Settlement (DLRS) of Tripura and Mizoram, along with the Director of the Survey of India’s Guwahati office. The team will examine the available land records with the Survey of India before undertaking future field surveys.

Both states will also designate their respective Additional Home Secretaries and DLRS Directors as nodal officers for regular coordination and communication on the boundary issue.

Officials said meetings of the Joint Technical Team will be convened by the Survey of India at its Silchar office every fortnight, with the objective of arriving at a consensus on border-related land records before any future field demarcation.

Meanwhile, another Home Secretary-level meeting between Tripura and Mizoram is scheduled to be held in Aizawl after two months, as the two states continue efforts to resolve the long-standing boundary dispute through official and technical consultations.