Amit Shah likely to seal agreement on Assam-Meghalaya border row

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and his Meghalaya counterpart Conrad Sangma on Wednesday met in Guwahati and discussed the issues including reports submitted by the regional committees constituted by both the governments to find out solutions to the decades-long inter-state border dispute.

Meghalaya Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong said that, more or less both Assam and Meghalaya government have almost completed to reach to the agreement in six out of 12 areas.

“Both Chief Ministers have directed to the respective governments to bring out all the detailed reports and thereafter one more meeting will take place between the two Chief Ministers and then there will be a meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah. We hope that, by Jan 20 or 21, both Chief Ministers will come back and final agreement will be made,” Prestone Tynsong said.

Out of 12 disputes the government of both neighbouring states have taken six disputes as resolution at the beginning and these disputes are mainly Tarabari, Gizang, Fahala, Baklapara, Khanapara (Pilingkata) and Ratacherra and these areas fall under Cachar, Kamrup and Kamrup Metropolitan districts of Assam and West Khasi Hills, Ri-Bhoi and East Jaintia Hills of Meghalaya.

The Assam Chief Minister said that, in principle both governments have reached a mutual agreement to resolve the dispute in six of 12 areas.

“We will discuss with the opposition parties, civil society groups, students’ bodies on January 18 and the Meghalaya government will also do similar consultation. If the stakeholders say that, they will also agree with the state government’s decision and it will help the state then we hope that, we will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) by this month,” Himanta Biswa Sarma said.