Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and his Meghalaya
counterpart Conrad Sangma are slated to meet to discuss the resolution of
border disputes between the two States in six remaining areas in the evening on
Saturday, said an official.
The Chief Ministers are also likely to discuss the September 26
clash between residents of two bordering villages of Karbi Anglong and West
Jaintia districts along the Assam-Meghalaya border, added the official.
Official level talks to resolve the issues in the remaining six
disputed areas are being held at regular intervals between the two neighbouring
States.
CMs Sarma and Sangma had last met on May 24 and had agreed to meet
again to take forward the discussions to resolve the border issue as it was “complicated”,
he said.
The two chief ministers had then agreed to visit the disputed areas
along the border of Karbi Anglong-West Jaintia Hills districts of both the States.
Meghalaya was carved out of Assam as a separate State in 1972. It
had challenged the Assam Reorganisation Act, 1971, leading to disputes in 12
areas of the 884.9 km long border between the two States.
CM Sarma on assuming office in May, 2021 had announced that his
priority was to resolve long-standing boundary disputes with the States
neighbouring Assam. Subsequently, three regional committees were set up in
August 2021 to resolve them in a phased manner.
The committees submitted their recommendations which were handed
over to Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi by the two Chief Ministers,
followed by the signing of agreement on March 29, 2022 to resolve disputes in
six of the total 12 areas.
According to the agreement, 36.79 sq km of disputed area was taken
up for settlement in the first phase with Assam getting full control of 18.51 sq
km and Meghalaya over 18.28 sq km.
PTI
