Kohima: In response to escalating tensions over the Merapani Seed Farm, Nagaland MLA Achumbemo Kikon visited the government-owned agricultural property on Wednesday to assess the situation, following protests by labourers and alleged encroachments by immigrants claiming rights over the land.
According to the MLA’s office, the 1,300-acre seed farm—located in the sensitive border region between Nagaland and Assam—has witnessed rising unrest in recent weeks, with both tenants and immigrants reportedly asserting ownership or tenancy rights.
Kikon was accompanied by members of the Lotha Lower Range Public Organisation (LLRPO), the Lotha Lower Range Students’ Union (LLRSU), officers from the 7th Nagaland Armed Police (NAP), local police personnel, and the Border Magistrate.
During the visit, Kikon firmly asserted that the entire stretch of the Merapani Seed Farm belongs to the Government of Nagaland. “Illegal immigrants from Assam and the tenants have no right whatsoever to claim even an inch of this land,” he stated.
The MLA urged the Department of Agriculture to take swift and decisive action by cancelling all permits or lease agreements issued to both local and non-local individuals. He emphasised the need for the government to reclaim the entire farm and transform it into a key agricultural hub, calling it a potential “rice bowl” for the state.
Kikon also underscored the importance of securing the farm from further encroachment. He urged the department to install fencing around the entire perimeter of the Merapani Seed Farm to protect it from illegal occupants and to preserve it for agricultural development.
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