Agartala, July 13 (UNI) The Tripura government intends to resume talks with its Mizoram counterpart to address their long-standing inter-state border dispute, and, as a preparation, officials from both states are scheduled to meet this week.
According to the report, the upcoming meeting is expected to precede a proposed dialogue between the two chief ministers. Sources said Tripura's Chief Minister, Dr Manik Saha, has initiated a new round of discussions to address the issues concerning the 109-km border shared between the two states.
This initiative follows a conversation between Dr Saha and Mizoram's Chief Minister, Lalduhoma, during 73rd plenary session of the North Eastern Council (NEC) held in Shillong last month. Dr Saha mentioned his proposal for discussions aimed at resolving the border issues through mutual consultation.
Tripura CM explained that he proposed senior officials from both states thoroughly discuss the matter before the highest policy-level meeting, as a foundation for subsequent discussions between the chief ministers.
The recent NEC plenary gathering was attended by union Home Minister Amit Shah, union Minister for Development of the North Eastern Region Jyotiraditya Scindia, and Minister of State Sukanta Mujumdar, along with governors and chief ministers of all eight north-eastern states, where the issue was flagged.
Tripura shares an 856-km international border with Bangladesh, which makes up nearly 84 percent of its total boundary, and also shares a 53-km inter-state border with Assam and a 109-km border with Mizoram.
The boundary between Tripura and Mizoram has been a source of contention for years, often leading to tensions when either state conducts development or construction work in disputed areas. One such incident occurred last May when an under-construction tourism facility in Phuldungsei village along the Tripura-Mizoram border was damaged by an explosion, prompting police from both states to visit the site and maintain peace.
Following the incident, Tripura's Tourism and Transport Minister, Sushanta Chowdhury, led a review meeting in Jampui and resolved to reconstruct the damaged eco-tourism infrastructure. Residents have noted that both states claim Phuldungsei as their territory, marking it as one of the most sensitive sections along the inter-state border.
Officials have stated that the tourism project is being developed under the Centre's Swadesh Darshan scheme with an estimated budget of Rs 3.12 crore.
Additional security forces were deployed in the area post-explosion, and the Tripura government subsequently addressed the issue with their counterparts in Mizoram.
In recent years, officials from North Tripura's administration, Mizoram's Mamit district administration, and the Survey of India have engaged in multiple discussions to pinpoint and resolve disputed sections, yet a conclusive resolution remains elusive.
Meanwhile, some organisations in Mizoram have continued to raise objections to construction activities by the Tripura government in the bordering localities.
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