Apang terms Asomese greedy, concerned over timber smuggle

Itanagar, Mar 21 (UNI) Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Gegong Apang today expressed concern over the large-scale smuggling of timber on the Asom-Arunachal border and urged the Centre to solve the contentious boundary dispute.

'' Asom had no dearth of resources but they have resorted to smuggling of valuable timber species from our state. They are not needy but greedy,'' Mr Apang said, while responding to Zero Hour discussion on deployment and patrolling of para-military forces on the inter-state boundary to prevent such illegal operation raised by R K Khrimey. He said Arunachal forest department was helpless due to lack of resources and trained manpower.

Suggesting to construct permanent high boundary walls along the border areas, Mr Apang said though the state shares a long and porous boundary with Bhutan and Myanmar, no such problems have been reported from there.

''The vexed boundary problem with Asom is not only a regional but a national problem,'' the Chief Minister said adding the Boundary Commission appointed for the purpose should immediately resolve the issue. Earlier, Mr Khrimey had alleged Asom Police personnel were harassing the dwellers in these foothill areas and also threatening the state police personnel.

''Small plantations of our people in those areas are destroyed.

The water and electricity supply are also disconnected very regularly,'' he said.

Mr Khirmey suggested that the deployment of adequate para-military forces in these areas would help in protecting the vast natural resources, checking revenue leakage of forest products and the illegal movement of anti-social elements.

The Chief Minister also urged the Centre to help in creating Armed Forest Protection Force to protect the rich flora and fauna of the state.

UNI