A proposal to divide responsibility for a 21.695-km stretch of the Mariani–Dessoi Road in the Disputed Area Belt between Assam and Nagaland has triggered protests in Mariani, with the All Adivasi Students’ Association of Assam (AASAA) opposing the move and alleging possible territorial implications.
According to a report by The Assam Tribune, members of the association staged a demonstration on Tuesday, citing an official document issued by the office of the Director General Border Roads on February 17, 2026, which outlines a proposed division of the road for reconstruction between the two states.
The road from Kathalguri Tini-Ali in Mariani would remain under the Assam government, while the remaining 14.495 km up to the Assam Police border outpost at New Sonowal is proposed to be handed over to the Nagaland Public Works Department.
The road was originally constructed by the Border Roads Organisation.
The document reportedly directs project authorities to complete the handover process.
Opposing the proposal, AASAA said the stretch lies within Assam territory up to the inter-state boundary and questioned the rationale behind transferring reconstruction responsibility to another state.
A student leader reportedly alleged that the move contradicts the state government’s commitment to protecting “jati, mati and bheti,” and raised concerns over past instances in border areas where infrastructure work was accompanied by territorial claims through signage.
“There is no objection to reconstruction by the Border Roads Organisation or the Assam government, but transferring the responsibility to Nagaland is unacceptable,” he was quoted as saying.
“If the Border Roads Organisation cannot maintain the road, the Assam government should handle it. We suspect a pattern that could gradually affect territorial claims,” he added.
The protesters warned of intensified agitation if the issue was not addressed, urging the Assam government to intervene and retain control over the road stretch.
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The development comes in the backdrop of recent Assam–Nagaland engagements, including a tripartite agreement with the Centre for joint oil and gas exploration in the disputed border belt covering over 1,000 sq km of contested territory, with shared resource arrangements between the two states.
