Agartala, July 27 — Officials of the Tripura and Mizoram governments will soon meet in Agartala to discuss the long-pending inter-state border dispute along the 109-km boundary shared by the two Northeastern states, officials said here on Monday.

A senior Tripura government official said the proposed meeting between senior officials of the two states is likely to be held next week in Agartala.

“Following the official-level meeting, the Chief Ministers of the two states will hold talks to discuss the inter-state boundary dispute and explore a lasting solution to the issue,” the official said. However, the date for the proposed meeting has not yet been finalised.

An official in the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) had earlier said that Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha took the initiative to revive dialogue with Mizoram to resolve the long-standing border dispute through mutual discussions.

The CMO official said that Saha had discussed the inter-state boundary issue with Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma during the 73rd plenary session of the North Eastern Council (NEC) held in Shillong on June 4. According to the official, when Saha proposed that the two Chief Ministers hold talks to resolve the inter-state border dispute, Lalduhoma readily agreed.

Saha had suggested that, before the Chief Minister-level meeting, senior officials of both states should first meet and discuss the issue in detail. Subsequently, the two Chief Ministers could meet to take the matter forward. “The Mizoram Chief Minister also agreed to Tripura Chief Minister Saha’s proposal,” the CMO official added.

The 73rd NEC plenary session was attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Union Minister for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) Jyotiraditya Scindia, Minister of State for DoNER Sukanta Majumdar, and the Governors and Chief Ministers of all eight Northeastern states.

Bangladesh surrounds Tripura on its southern, western and northern sides. The state shares an 856-km international border with Bangladesh, accounting for nearly 84 per cent of its total boundary. It also has a 53-km inter-state border with Assam and a 109-km border with Mizoram.

The border dispute between Tripura and Mizoram has remained unresolved for many years. Tensions often surface whenever either state undertakes development or construction work in areas claimed by both sides, with the other state raising objections.

In one such incident, unidentified miscreants in May last year hurled moderate-intensity explosives at an under-construction tourism building at Phuldungsei village along the Tripura-Mizoram border in North Tripura district, causing substantial damage to the structure.

Following the blast, police officials from both Tripura and Mizoram visited the mountainous border village to assess the situation and maintain peace. Soon after the incident, Tripura Tourism and Transport Minister Sushanta Chowdhury held a meeting with senior district officials at Jampui in North Tripura district. They decided to reconstruct the damaged eco-tourism infrastructure.

Residents living on both sides of the inter-state border have long maintained that Phuldungsei village falls within the territorial claims of both Tripura and Mizoram, making it one of the disputed stretches between the two states.

A Tripura Tourism Department official had earlier said that the damaged buildings were being constructed on forest land at Phuldungsei village for Rs 3.12 crore to promote tourism in the region. The project is being implemented under the Centre’s flagship Swadesh Darshan Scheme of the Union Tourism Ministry.

Following the explosion in May last year, both Tripura and Mizoram deployed additional security personnel in the area, while authorities of the two states closely monitored the situation to prevent any further escalation. The Tripura government subsequently took up the matter with the Mizoram government through official channels.

Over the years, the district administrations of North Tripura district and Mizoram’s Mamit district, along with officials of the Survey of India, have held several rounds of discussions to resolve the disputed patches along the inter-state boundary.

Mizoram-based civil society groups and student organisations have, on several occasions, opposed construction activities undertaken by the Tripura government in areas they describe as “disputed inter-state border” stretches.

Telangana HC orders Chief Secretary to replace HYDRAA Commissioner Ranganath

Assam: 5 arrested after industrial blast kills 4 workers

CMFRI bets on digital tech to boost shark conservation

India, Cote d'Ivoire discuss ways to strengthen defence cooperation

There is no delay in probe into Air India Boeing crash: Govt

Youth must connect with humanity, selfless service: Haryana CM

IndiGo's Dubai-Mumbai IndiGo flight diverted to Rajkot after alert, makes safe landing (Lead)

MP govt plans to double Mukundpur White Tiger Safari area

With new policy, Gujarat eyes leadership in India's shipbuilding industry

AIADMK set to advance Working Committee meeting as EPS moves to tighten party organisation

UP tells SC it has reconstituted SIT to probe alleged Ram temple donation irregularities

Gujarat govt clears industrial projects worth over Rs 2,999 crore

BJP to launch ‘Samarasata Sankalp Abhiyan’ to mark 650th birth anniversary of Sant Guru Ravidas on July 29

Calcutta HC directs police not to arrest former Trinamool legislator Atin Ghosh while bail plea pending

Kerala will reject fake news: Rajeev Chandrasekhar

IndiGo flight from Mumbai to Dubai makes emergency landing in Rajkot

Delhi Traffic cops rescue advocate after he collapses while riding motorcycle at ITO crossing

Police in Srinagar attach properties worth Rs 5.60 crore under 'Nasha Mukt J&K Abhiyaan'

33 states, UTs have signed MoUs for National e-Vidhan application: MoS Murugan

Tripura, Mizoram to hold talks in Agartala on border dispute next week

NDA ‘Mangal Milan’ meeting to firm up Parliament strategy tomorrow