Meghalaya and Assam have agreed to make some adjustments in the demarcation of inter-state boundary in Malang Salbari area of West Khasi Hills.
During the talks between Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma and his Assam counterpart Himanta Biswa Sarma on September 30, the two sides decided that Assam should be “a little flexible” while demarcating the border “so that local people do not get unnecessarily tense.
Following the signing of the boundary agreement between the governments of Assam and Meghalaya on March 29, 2022, tensions have been high in Malang Salbari under Tarabari sector of West Khasi Hills.
According to the agreement signed between the two states, Malang Salbari has been included in Meghalaya while Salbari has remained with Assam.
The two villages are primarily inhabited by the Garo community.
The people of these villages say they feel ‘betrayed’ by the Meghalaya government and said that they do not want to go to Assam.
Meanwhile, during the talks on September 30, Meghalaya and Assam have decided to soon finalise the boundary lines in the first six areas of the differences in Phase I. It was agreed that by December 31, finalisation of the demarcation and boundary lines of the first six areas of the differences will be completed.
The six areas of differences resolved in the first phase of talks included Tarabari (4.69 sq km), Gizang (13.53 sq km), Hahim (3.51 sq km), Boklapara (1.57 sq kms), Khanapara-Pilangkata (2.29 sq kms) and Ratacherra (11.20 sq kms). The total area is 36.79 sq kms.
Further, in the meeting, the two states also approved the boundary line for the Hahim sector.
In Hahim sector, the villages of Rongthali, Ranighat, Athiabari, Thamnaguri/Sonakuri, Mathaphuta/Umshiak, Maspara, Moipara, Malapara/Nalapara, Simrang (Umsaitwait) and Simrang/Salpara, and Lejadubi will come to Meghalaya and one village, namely, Thutiapara/Thutia Bazar will be in Assam.
