The issuance of the ILP, which is mandatory for any non-Mizo to enter Mizoram, has been a hitch for several workers. Hence, the Mizoram government has worked out a plan in which those workers will be allowed entry into Mizoram whose names are figured in the 'job registrar', set to be prepared by the Assam and Mizoram authorities jointly.
"The 'job registrar' will have 300 names of workers from Cachar district. The registrar will be prepared after authenticating the citizenship of the workers by Cachar administration and police," said Cachar deputy commissioner Harendra Kumar Dev Mahanta.
He said, whenever there is need for workers in Vairengte area of Kolasib district of Mizoram, workers with their names in the registrar will be drawn from here. The registrar will be with Dholai police station in Cachar, Mahanta added.
After a meeting of officials from Cachar and Karimganj in Assam and Kolasib in Mizoram on Friday, Kolasib District Collector Niharika Rai said the decision to soften ILP regulations for poor workers from Assam were taken on humanitarian grounds. Moreover, this is aimed at easing tension that has gripped the Assam-Mizoram border over past few weeks, she added.
Both sides also decided that quarterly meetings would be held between officials of Cachar and Kolasib. Besides, police officials from Dhalai in Cachar and Vairengte in Kolasib will hold monthly meetings to ensure that situation remained calm.
It was also decided that cultural groups from Assam and Mizoram would visit each other's states with a view to strengthening bonds between people of the two states.
Village Authority (VA) of Vairengte of Mizoram last week rejected the demand of Cachar authorities to Mizoram government to allow entry of 300 people up to Vairengte village through Casual Labour Permit (CLP), but without ILP.
Sources said there was a time when workers from Assam were allowed to enter into some parts of Kolasib district of Mizoram temporarily on the basis of CLP. However, recently some Mizoram-based NGOs including Young Mizo Association (YMA) made it clear that no non-Mizo worker would be allowed in the state without ILP.
The dispute had assumed serious turn and Assam government tightened vigil along the Assam-Mizoram border in Cachar district and deployed additional security forces after heightening of tension following destruction of a border pillar by unidentified miscreants, said Cachar DC.
Several local organisations and NGOs of Cachar district have been organizing protest rallies and blockade of Aizawl-Silchar national highway demanding to resolve the issues of workers and the border.