Meghalaya and Assam have decided to start settling the boundary dispute between the two states in six areas which are slightly less complicated.
The six areas out of twelve which will be taken up are Tarabari, Gizang, Hahim, Baklapara, Khanapara-Pilangkata and Rattachera.
The decision was taken at the second round of border talks between Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma and his Assam counterpart Himanta Biswa Sarma today in Guwahati.
“These six areas are what we have decided that we will move towards finding an amicable solution. We have also decided that there will be regional committees that will be formed by both the states, which will be headed by a cabinet minister,” Sangma said.
The committee will comprise of five members each from both the states and will be notified by the respective states. Each committee will be headed by one cabinet minister.
In each committee, a cabinet minister will be part of the delegation, which will visit the area of differences jointly and submit its report in the next meeting, which will be held within the next 30 days either in Shillong or Guwahati.
“We have decided also that we will focus on number one, historical facts, number two ethnicity, number three administrative convenience, number four willingness and the overall sense of the people’s sentiments and number five contiguity,” Sangma added.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that once the six areas of difference are resolved, both the states will move forward to resolve other areas of differences.
Meanwhile, in the next 30 days, the chief ministers of both the states will also jointly visit Langpih to send a message that both the states are keen to resolve all areas of differences between Assam and Meghalaya.
“We assure the people that both the states are committed to resolve the complicated issues as well. However, we will start from less complicated issues and will move towards more complicated issues,” Sarma said.
Meanwhile, Sangma thanked the Assam Chief Minister for hosting the chief minister-level talk in Guwahati.
“We are very happy that the meeting was very constructive and positive,” Sangma said, while adding, “We have been very clear from both the governments that we want to resolve the area of differences and the disputes that are there between the two states. It has been very long and a lot of people have suffered in different areas because of these differences that have existed”.
He said that both the states have strong political will to find an amicable solution to these areas of differences.
“We have agreed that whatever we do, it must be done in a respectful manner and both the states need to respect each other. Today in the meeting, we had a detailed presentation given by the Government of Assam, on six areas of the differences that are there out of twelve. The strategy which both the State governments have agreed to follow is to take up these matters in a phase-wise manner,” Sangma said.
The meeting between the two states was held at Assam Administrative Staff College in Guwahati.
The Meghalaya delegation also comprises of Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong and cabinet ministers – Sniawbhalang Dhar, Lahkmen Rymbui, Renikton Lyngdoh, Banteidor Lyngdoh, Hamletson Dohling, Brolding Nongsiej, Sanbor Shullai, Dasakhiat Lamare and Kyrmen Shylla.
It may be mentioned that the twelve areas of difference between the two states include Tarabari, Gizang, Hahim, Langpih, Borduar, Boklapara, Nongwah-Mawtamur, Khanapara-Pillangkata, Desh Doomreah, Block I and II, Khanduli-Psiar and Ratacherra, and cover an area of 2729.14 square km. Blocks I and II cover 1583.42 square km.
The Meghalaya government in the past has submitted documents to Assam to prove that these areas belong to Meghalaya.
