Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Saturday talked to his Nagaland counterpart Neiphiu Rio over phone and requested him to reopen the inter-State border adjoining Sivasagar and Charaideo district which were sealed by the Nagaland Government in view of detection of a COVID-19 patient at Sonari recently.

Chief Minister Sonowal during the talk urged the Nagaland CM to put in joint efforts to fight novel coronavirus pandemic. The Chief Minister said that while fighting against the virus, there is also a need to continue economic activities unhindered. He said that due to the sealing of the inter-State border by the Nagaland Government, the livelihood of workers engaged in the tea gardens of the border areas is adversely affected. 

Besides, the labour forces working in the stone quarries and movement of construction materials have also been negatively impacted. Stating this, Chief Minister Sonowal requested his Nagaland counterpart to take expeditious measures to reopen the border so that economic activities could be carried out without any disruption.

Responding to CM Sonowal’s request, the Nagaland CM assured him to positivity look into the request and to take necessary steps to reopen the border.