Tripura, Mizoram Police probe damage to under-construction govt building on inter-state border

Agartala/Aizawl, May 29 (IANS) An under-construction building along the Tripura-Mizoram inter-state border was badly damaged by "unidentified people", forcing police authorities of the two states to probe the incident separately, officials said on Thursday.

North Tripura District's Superintendent of Police Avinash Rai said that late on Tuesday night, the under-construction building at Phuldungsei village along the Mizoram border was damaged by "unidentified people".

"Tripura Police are now investigating the matter to nab the wrongdoers. Mizoram Police are also probing the matter to apprehend the people responsible for the incident. We have good relations with Mizoram police and they assured us to cooperate in this matter," the district police chief told IANS over phone from North Tripura District headquarters Dharmanagar.

Despite the incident, the situation along the interstate border is calm and fully under control, Rai claimed.

He said that the building was constructed by the Forest Department of Tripura government for eco-tourism purposes.

A police official in Aizawl said that the incident occurred when unidentified people used explosives to damage the under-construction building.

Additional security personnel were deployed in the area by both the states while the authorities on both sides are closely monitoring the situation to prevent any further escalation in view of the incident.

Another Mizoram government official said that there are some disputed patches along the 109 km Tripura-Mizoram interstate border.

The district authorities of North Tripura district and Mizoram's Mamit district, along with the officials of Survey of India, earlier on several occasions held discussions over the disputed patches of the two northeastern states.

Mizoram civil society and student organisations occasionally opposed any constructions by the Tripura government along the “disputed inter-state borders”.

Tripura Forest, Science and Technology and Environment Minister Animesh Debbarma told IANS that he has sought a report from the officials over the late Tuesday night incident.

--IANS

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