Jorhat, Oct. 9: The presence of Naga policemen in Merapani on the Assam-Nagaland border has fuelled tension in the area which is still smarting from a recent spell of cross-boundary violence.

The area, marked a “disputed area belt”, is guarded by the CRPF personnel, known as “neutral force”.

Two platoons of Nagaland police personnel and one company of Assam police were deployed both sides of the border following a request from the CRPF authorities in the middle of August.

The plea came after violence erupted in the area following the death of an Assam villager in Nagaland during a business trip and subsequent attacks on Naga youths in Merapani town.

Though the Assam police force vacated the area after a month of its deployment as instructed by the CRPF authorities, a group of Nagaland policemen is still camping in an upper Merapani village despite the CRPF’s requests and Golaghat district administration’s repeated complaints to the Wokha district administration in this regard.

An official source said there has been growing resentment among villagers on the Assam side after Assam police personnel vacated the area last month while their Naga cops remained at their post.

Local people, backed by several students’ organisations on the Assam side, staged protests at Merapani against the presence of Naga policemen, which they saw as a “design” to help Naga people encroach into Assam land.

Sources said after the Golaghat district administration took up the matter with the Wokha district administration, the Nagaland government withdrew a section of policemen from the camp.

Of the 60-member troop, 20 to 25 still remain in the camp.

Golaghat superintendent of police R.A. Laskar said there was “some kind of palpable tension” in the area as the Nagaland government was not withdrawing its forces entirely.

Deputy commissioner N.M. Hussain today said he has written several times to his Wokha counterpart to get the Nagaland policemen withdrawn from the area.

He said he had been told by his Wokha counterpart that the Nagaland government was keeping “some policemen” for the safety and security of Naga villagers of the area.

“Both sides are keeping in touch with each other so as not to let the tension escalate,” Hussain said, adding that a meeting of additional deputy commissioners was held at Merapani yesterday to discuss the boundary issue and the bid by some vehicle owners from Nagaland to open a taxi stand on Assam land.

Yesterday, Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi directed the home commissioner to visit Merapani and submit a report on the situation.

Wokha deputy commissioner Rovilatuo Mor told The Telegraph today that he, too, has written to higher authorities in Kohima requesting them to review the state government’s decision to station a police team at Merapani.