Arunachal, Assam agree to keep status-quo till SC order

ITANAGAR: Arunachal Pradesh and Assam have agreed to maintain status-quo in letter and spirit till the Supreme Court delivers its verdict on the decades-old inter-state boundary issue.

Following recent area disputes at Tarasso area under Arunachal's Papum Pare district, a joint meeting of deputy commissioners of Papum Pare and Assam's Sonitpur districts was held at Tezpur on Monday last, official sources said here today.

After threadbare discussion, both sides agreed to maintain status-quo and to initiate action against fresh encroachers on either side of the border, the sources said.

The situation at Tarasso was discussed at length wherein SDO Biswanath Chariali, DFO Sonitpur and SP Sonitpur assured to initiate appropriate action against the encroachers from Assam side, sources claimed here.

It was further decided that a joint sitting of Forest officials of both districts should be convened at the earliest and a report be submitted to both the DCs so that a joint visit could be made in and around Tarasso area, sources informed.

During the meeting, the Papum Pare DC and SP suggested that a joint meeting of similar nature be conducted between the East Kameng district and Sonitpur district authorities so that peace and tranquility was kept for benefit of communities living along the border, sources added.