Centre assures order to shift Assam Rifles battalion HQ from Aizawl

The center has assured Mizoram that a fresh order for shifting the Assam Rifles battalion headquarters from the heart of Aizawl city would be issued after the ongoing monsoon session, the Mizoram government’s official statement said on Friday.

Union Home secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla gave the assurance to a Mizoram delegation comprising Assembly speaker Lalrinliana Sailo, Rajya Sabha member K Vanlalvena, OSD to state chief minister Rosangzuala and state home commissioner H. Lalengmawia, who met the former at his office in New Delhi on Thursday evening.

The Mizoram delegation expressed disappointment over the delay in the relocation of the paramilitary troops despite the fact that the Ministry of Home Affairs had directed them to shift their new headquarters to Zokhawsang, about 15 km east of Aizawl, by May 31, 2019.

In response to the Mizoram team expressing the urgency for relocation of the Assam Rifles, Ajay Kumar Bhalla assured that fresh orders would be issued after the monsoon session.

Earlier on May 25 this year, Ajay Bhalla had assured state deputy chief minister Tawnluia that the procedure to relocate Assam Rifles battalion headquarters from the heart of Aizawl to Zokhawsang had been completed and a meeting to discuss the matter should be held in the month of June without any further delay.

In pursuance of this, Assam Rifles officials and Mizoram chief minister Zoramthanga had also discussed the issue at the CM office.

Mizoram government has stated that the entire infrastructure at the new headquarters has been completed by the contractor Engineering Projects India Limited while the state government has completed all the logistics, including supply of drinking water, power supply lines, and construction of the approach roads.