Assam-Meghalaya border dispute: 3 committees will be formed to resolve differences in remaining areas

Guwahati: After the second round of talks aiming to resolve the border dispute between Assam and Meghalaya concluded in Guwahati earlier today, CM Himanta Biswa Sarma informed in a tweet that 'the two states will form 3 Regional Committees headed by Cabinet Minister from both States to resolve boundary disputes in six remaining areas of differences.'

"Assam and Meghalaya will form 3 Regional Committees headed by Cabinet Minister from both States to resolve boundary disputes in six remaining areas of differences. This was decided during my 9th meeting with Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma," Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma tweeted. He further noted that the said 'committee will make extensive visits, talk to people living in the areas, build confidence to iron out differences and find out mutually agreeable solutions.'

Himanta Biswa Sarma also expressed gratitude towards his Meghalaya counterpart Conrad K Sangama for his 'keen involvement in talks that led us to resolve our 5-decade-old boundary issue.'

"Of the 12 areas over which we had differences, we decided to resolve 6 less complicated ones in 1st phase and we accordingly made substantial progress in this regard. An MoU was signed to this effect in presence of Adarniya Union Home Minister Shri @AmitShah ji on March 29," the Assam CM's tweet further read.

Notably, the two states had signed an MoU to end the five-decade-old border dispute in six of the 12 disputed areas in New Delhi earlier this year in March. "The CMs of Assam and Meghalaya have agreed for permanent settlement of the inter-state boundary in respect of six areas of difference out of total 12 areas of difference between the states of Assam and Meghalaya," Minister of State (MoS) for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai stated in Rajya Sabha at the time.