Nagaland Deputy Chief Minister Y Patton told the state Assembly on September 3 that the government was taking measures to prevent a recurrence of the recent confrontation along the Nagaland-Assam border and protect residents in disputed areas.
Responding to a discussion raised by MLA and Advisor Achumbemo Kikon, Patton referred to incidents reported on August 25 and 26 in the Mekirang/Neghrebil area of Sector D of the Disputed Area Belt (DAB).
He said two village chairmen and a representative of the Lotha Lower Range Public Organisation were allegedly assaulted during a protest on August 26. An FIR was registered at Bhandari Police Station on August 27.
Following the incidents, the Wokha and Golaghat district administrations activated the Border Level Peace Committee to improve coordination between the two states, maintain peace along the boundary and prevent further confrontations.
On the eviction dispute, Patton said 205 households were served eviction notices during a joint drive in August 2025. Of these, 146 were evicted, while the eviction of the remaining 59 households was stayed by the court.
He said the Gauhati High Court, in an order issued on August 18, 2026, had given the 59 families an additional 60 days to vacate the area.
Patton said the state government was closely monitoring developments in the DAB and pursuing the matter at both the state and Central levels. The Wokha district administration was coordinating with its Assam counterparts to protect Naga villages, settlements and residents in the disputed areas.
He said Nagaland and Assam would also ensure that future eviction or plantation drives were not conducted unilaterally. A “proper mechanism” would be put in place for such operations to be carried out jointly by officials of both states, he added.
