Deputy Chief Minister Y. Patton, on the second day of the Seventh Session of the 14th Nagaland Legislative Assembly, made a statement under Rule-55 regarding the eviction of illegal immigrants from the Disputed Area Belt (DAB).
Patton informed the House that since the first information about an eviction-oriented survey in the Reserve Forest by Assam authorities was received on July 16, 2025, the Nagaland State Government, under the supervision of Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, has been closely monitoring the situation.
On July 17, the Border Magistrate of Uriamghat, Nagaland, raised the matter with his counterpart at Surapathar, Assam, and conducted an on-site verification. A joint coordination meeting was subsequently held on July 22 at Surapathar with senior officials from both sides.
Patton said that on July 24, he toured the DAB areas of Wokha and Niuland along with MLAs, representatives of Lotha Hoho, Lotha Students’ Union, Western Sumi Hoho, and local leaders to engage directly with the affected public.
He informed that the State Cabinet, on July 30, resolved that all eviction drives would henceforth be conducted jointly by district administrations and police from both Nagaland and Assam to prevent unilateral actions and check the influx of illegal immigrants.
Patton added that following discussions between the Chief Ministers of Nagaland and Assam on August 21, both states agreed to halt further plantations or pillar erections until the matter is resolved at the Chief Ministerial level. On August 26, the Cabinet decided that all illegal immigrants in the DAB are to be evicted, and any required plantation drives will be carried out jointly with coordination among district administrations, police, forest departments, and local communities.
Raising concern over the continued presence of Assam Police Forces in the DAB, Patton said this was contrary to the 1972 Agreement. He informed the House that Assam currently operates 45 permanent police outposts in the DAB, while Nagaland has withdrawn all its five pre-1972 police outposts.
He further stated that the Cabinet has agreed to establish a Special Border Response Force (SBRF), comprising personnel from Border Affairs, Police, and the Forest Department, for prompt response to any border issues.
Assuring the House that the State Government will continue all necessary steps to protect the interests of its citizens in all border districts, Patton appealed to civil society organizations and the media to rely only on verified, official sources for information related to the DAB.