The regional committees for boundary settlement of both Meghalaya and Assam will start visiting the areas where border disputes still exist between the two states.
As a confidence building measure, in June the chief ministers of the two states will visit Karbi Anglong and West Jaintia Hills where there has been a lot of unrest and conflict in recent times between the Karbi and Jaintia communities.
The regional committees will submit their reports by July end after which a chief minister level review meeting will be held.
This was decided at the meeting of Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma and his Assam counterpart Himanta Biswa Sarma today to kick start the second phase of discussions on the Assam-Meghalaya border issue.
The meeting was held at Assam State Guest House, Koinadhora, Guwahati.
Briefing the media after the meeting between chief ministers of the two states on the second phase of border talks to resolve the remaining six areas of difference, Assam Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma said, “From today the regional committees of both the states will start visiting the other areas where differences still exist. In June, both the Chief Ministers will visit Karbi Anglong and Jaintia Hills where presently some unrest is going on as a confidence building measure.”
“The people on both sides will feel confident and they will be assured that both the states will resolve the differences, resolve the dispute with a spirit of the long existing friendship between the people of Meghalaya and Assam,” he added.
Sarma was hopeful to resolve the issues and differences through the process of discussion and mutual trust and confidence.
He also informed that the regional committees will submit their reports by July end after which a chief minister level review meeting will be held.
Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma said that this is the beginning of the process to find a solution for the remaining six areas of differences.
“We have asked regional committees to do fact finding and start the same process as was done for the first phase of talks. We will consult with stakeholders and we hope to get reports very soon,” he said.
Sangma also reiterated that the two chief ministers will visit West Jaintia Hills and Karbi Anglong where tension is still prevailing and appeal for peace and assure the people that through a process a solution will be arrived at.
“I am confident in the leadership of the Chief Minister of Assam and Government of India, we will find a way to resolve the matter with mutual trust and friendship,” Sangma said while adding “at the same time we have asked the Survey of India to continue with their survey of the first six areas of differences and complete their surveys.”
