Ahead of the next round of border talks with Assam, the Meghalaya government has today decided to set up three regional committees to examine all issues related to the boundary issue.
According to Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, the three regional committees will be notified soon to deal with boundary matters respectively for the three districts of West Khasi Hills, Ri-Bhoi and West Jaiñtia Hills where there is boundary dispute with Assam.
While each of these regional committees will be headed by a cabinet minister, the members will include MLAs from the respective district, Members of District Council (MDCs) and other stakeholders.
The committees will hold consultation with traditional heads of areas under boundary dispute and also visit the disputed areas.
Further, the committees would submit their reports to the State government and based on their findings a State-level committee would be formed for larger consultation with various stakeholders.
On July 23, Sangma held his first border talks with Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma at the State secretariat here. Chief Secretaries and other senior officials of both governments were also present at the meeting.
While Meghalaya claimed 12 disputed places as belonging to the State, Assam also claimed that these areas belong to Assam.
Both states agreed to go beyond the status quo and discuss all 12 places one by one based on documentary evidence. Both Sangma and Sarma said that if necessary, they would visit all the 12 disputed areas.
The second round of border talks between the two chief ministers will be held in Guwahati on August 6.
