A new border dispute has cropped up between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh with both the states accusing each other of intruding into its respective territory and constructing government structures on them. Even as the two state Governments approached the Centre and pleaded with it to intervene,a student group in Arunachal Pradesh served a quit notice to people from Assam living in the hill state. Arunachal Pradesh has complained that two companies of Assam police,led by the Deputy Commissioner and Superintendent of Police of Lakhimpur district of Assam,armed with weapons,virtually raided the Gumto village in Papum Pare district and destroyed the newly constructed police check post on December 29. They also arrested three Arunachal Pradesh Police personnel deployed on check gate and lodged them at Laluk police station lockup. The Assam policemen also took away one motorbike belonging to an Arunchal police constable and a television set belonging to a villager, a press note issued by the Arunachal Pradesh Government said. While Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu took up the matter with his Assam counterpart Tarun Gogoi the same day and expressed resentment over the incident,he also said that he would take up the issue with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and seek immediate intervention. Meanwhile,the Assam Government on Tuesday accused Arunachal of intruding into its territory and constructing a check gate inside Lakhimpur district. Making a statement in the Assembly here,state Forest Minister Rockybul Hussain said that Assam was aware of Arunachal Pradesh advancing its check gate at Gumto into Lakhimpur,and had repeatedly asked the other state to desist from it.
