Dev expressed dissatisfaction over the lack of transparency and public communication by the Cachar District Administration on the issue
KRC TIMES Barak Valley Bureau
Silchar: Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Sushmita Dev has written to Cachar District Commissioner Mridul Yadav expressing serious concern over reports that 19 villages from Lakhipur subdivision of Cachar may be merged with Dima Hasao district and brought under the North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council.
According to Dev, several media reports suggest that the move follows a proposal made under the peace agreement signed earlier between the Government of India, the Government of Assam, and two insurgent outfits the Dimasa National Liberation Army (DNLA) and the Dimasa People’s Supreme Council (DPSC).
The Memorandum of Settlement (MoS), signed on April 27, 2023, in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma, sought to bring an end to armed insurgency in Dima Hasao.
Dev stated that the Hill Area Development Department of the Assam government has confirmed that a proposal for inclusion of the 19 villages has been sent to the government and is currently under consideration.
The villages in question including Dipu, Kumacharra, Kalinagar, Jembru, Putacherra, Harinagar, Dharamnagar, Thaipunagar, Railong, Masap, Doloicharra, Sonpur, Karabeel, Kanakpur, Joypur, Watiling, Langlacharra, Laduma, and Lodi fall under the Rajabazar Development Block, comprising around 11,536 voters.
She mentioned that the Circle Officer of Lakhipur has been instructed to prepare a detailed report covering aspects like location, geographical position, population, and community composition. However, Dev expressed dissatisfaction over the lack of transparency and public communication by the Cachar District Administration on the issue.
“This is not just about Lakhipur. It concerns the entire Barak Valley its economy, resources, and identity,” she said, urging the administration to engage with stakeholders and share full details of the ongoing process.
Calling the matter “a grave decision,” Dev warned that the merger could have far-reaching effects on the region’s economic and geographical integrity and requested the District Commissioner to furnish a detailed report on the developments at the earliest.
