Inter-state border disputes can only be resolved with mutual cooperation, Centre a facilitator: Govt
New Delhi: Inter-state border disputes can "only" be resolved with the cooperation of state governments involved in the matter and the Centre just acts as a facilitator in such cases, the Union government informed Parliament on Tuesday.
Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said this in a written statement to the Lok Sabha in response to a question on the role of the Union government in redressing border disputes between states in the country.
"The approach of the central government has consistently been that inter-state disputes can be resolved only with the cooperation of the state governments concerned and that the central government acts only as a facilitator for amicable settlement of the dispute in the spirit of mutual understanding," Rai said.
He cited at least seven such disputes in the country with Assam being involved in four.
According to available information, there are boundary disputes arising out of demarcation of boundaries and claims and counter-claims over territories between Haryana-Himachal Pradesh, Union Territory of Ladakh-Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra-Karnataka, Assam-Arunachal Pradesh, Assam-Nagaland, Assam-Meghalaya and Assam-Mizoram, he said.
"Occasional protests and incidents of violence are reported from some of the disputed areas," the minister said.
On Monday, at least five Assam Police personnel were killed while defending the "constitutional boundary" of the state with Mizoram as the festering border dispute between the two northeastern states erupted into a bloody conflict, officials said.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had earlier claimed six police personnel were killed in action during the clashes.
An Assam government statement revised the figure just before midnight and said that five state police personnel died and more than 50 people of the force were injured.
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Bihar: Over 150 children fall ill after consuming 'mid-day meal' in Saharsa
Saharsa (PTI): More than 150 children were taken ill after allegedly consuming food that was part of the mid-day meal in a school in Bihar’s Saharsa district, a senior official said on Thursday.
The incident occurred at a middle school in Baluaha village of the district.
The official said that 115 children were undergoing treatment at the Sadar Hospital, while around 50 students were admitted to Mahishi Public Health Centre.
“We received information that several children fell ill after consuming the mid-day meal in Baluaha. The children were initially treated at the primary health centre, but later, many were referred to the Sadar Hospital,” Saharsa District Magistrate Deepesh Kumar told reporters.
“According to doctors, the health condition of the children has improved, but they will be kept under observation for some time. There is no need to panic. Some kids are having mild fever. They are being treated accordingly,” Kumar said.
Meanwhile, family members of some children claimed that a snake was found in the container in which cooked pulses was stored at the school.
Of the 545 students present in the school, 200 had already eaten their meals by the time the snake was spotted, and later complained of stomach ache and vomiting, they said.
Regarding the claims, the DM said food samples have been collected from the school.
“We will be able to comment on this only after the results of the tested samples arrive,” he said.
