Only railway link blocked: Mizoram seeks Centre's aid to end dispute with Assam

Mizoram home secretary Lalbiaksangi said no state agency or entity or the general public has any right to block national highways and railway tracks.

An interim agreement hasbeen reached between Assam and Mizoram which clashed fatally over a border dispute on July 26.

The Mizoram government said miscreants from Assam have removed railway tracks and blocked National Highway (NH) 306 disrupting movement in the state. Seeking an early intervention from the Centre to simmering border dispute, Mizoram home secretary Lalbiaksangi said the acts have led to blocking of the only railway line connecting Bairabi railway station in the state.

He said no state agency or entity or the general public has any right to block national highways and railway lines, restricting the movement of people and goods.

"Unknown miscreants from Assam have destroyed/removed railway tracks at Mohammedpur Railway Station and Ramnathpur Railway Station in Hailakandi district in Assam. With this, the only railway line connecting Bairabi Railway Station in Mizoram has been blocked," said Lalbiaksangi in his message, adding Silchar-Aizawl stretch of NH-306 has also been blocked at Kabuganj in the Barak Valley by people on the Assam side.

He requested the Centre to take necessary action for immediate removal of the blockade to ensure resumption of movement of goods and passengers to Mizoram.

On Wednesday, an interim agreement was reached between Assam and Mizoram which clashed fatally over a border dispute on July 26. As part of the deal that was agreed upon following talks in Delhi, the two states withdraw their police forces and central paramilitary troops will be deployed in a four-km disputed stretch, which will function as a sort of no man’s land, till a permanent solution is found.

(With agency inputs)