Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has termed the boundary pillars along the inter-state border with Meghalaya as “pillars of clarity and peace”.
He said governance can finally shine in the “once grey areas”.
On Wednesday, survey teams and administrative officers from both the states have started the process of installing border pillars in the Hahim area of Boko under Assam’s Kamrup district.
Sarma added that six out of 12 disputed areas have been resolved and “fruits of that agreement are now flowing in as the first pillars get erected”.
Pillars are being installed along the banks of the Gijang and Tirchang rivers. This initiative covers several areas, including Rangthali, Umshek, Maspara, Malapara, Ranighar, Salpara, Thutia Bazaar and Rangsapara in an attempt to demarcate and stabilize the boundary between the two states.
Sarma said when Meghalaya was carved out of Assam in 1972, “a significant portion of its boundary with Assam was left ambiguous, often leading to chaos and tension between our states.”
“Fifty years later, in 2022 under the leadership of Adarniya @narendramodi Ji and in the presence of Adarniya @AmitShah Ji, our two states signed a historic MoU to begin defining our boundaries,” he wrote on X.
“So, how do these pillars improve harmony between us, sister states? People and administration on both sides now have exact clarity on jurisdiction. Governance can finally shine in these ‘once grey areas’,” Sarma added.
In the first phase, six areas were resolved on March 29, 2022, including Hahim, Gijang, Tarabari, Bakalapara, Khanapara-Pilinkata, and Ratachera, covering districts in both Assam and Meghalaya.
The Assam and Meghalaya governments have decided to install border pillars in areas where the border dispute has been resolved, ahead of Independence Day, this year following a meeting between the two chief ministers on June 2.
The Meghalaya government also announced that the plans to sign an agreement before August 15 to resolve a part of the long-standing border dispute with Assam is expected to facilitate the return of five villages to Ri-Bhoi district.
Under the first-phase settlement covering 36.79 sq km of disputed land, Assam received 18.46 sq km, while Meghalaya got 18.33 sq km. The remaining six areas, where the differences are more complex, are now being addressed in the second phase.
The second phase of the border talks covers Block I, Psiar-Khanduli in West Jaintia Hills; Block II, Borduar, Nongwah-Mawtamur, and Deshdoomreah in Ri-Bhoi and Langpih in West Khasi Hills district.
