Regional committees on border issue to submit reports by November 30: Assam CM

GUWAHATI:

Assam and Meghalaya will settle inter-state border dispute at six places by December 30, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and his Meghalaya counterpart, Conrad Sangma, said, on November 16.

Differences persisted between the two neighbouring states on 12 places along the border with one being the land on which the Assam State Guest House stands.

Now both the state government are planning to settle Taradubi, Gizang, Hakim, Boklapara, Khanapara- Pilingkata and Ratacherra, in the first phase.

Addressing a joint press conference at State Guest House No 1 in Guwahati on Tuesday, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and his counterpart Conrad K Sangma said the three Regional Border Committees set up by the state governments will submit their reports by December 30.

Sarma said the entire border resolution is being monitored by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah.

“The Regional committees will submit their reports before their respective state governments. After that, they will talk with the stakeholders. Following this, a final and a clear picture will emerge,” Sarma said.

The regional committees have been set up to settle the problems at six out of 12 sites in Kamrup, Kamrup Metro and Hailakandi districts, he said.

“In the first phase, we are looking to resolve issues at six places. We are looking to issue a final statement by December 30,” he added.

Earlier in the day, both the chief ministers visited a disputed site at Langpih and Kamrup districts between Meghalaya and Assam.

Sangma said that the border committees which have been created to resolve the Assam-Meghalaya border dispute will be submitting the reports by November 30.

Sarma shared photographs of the visit on his Twitter handle and captioned them as “confidence-building measures between Assam and Meghalaya”.

"As part of a confidence-building measure and to find a lasting solution to the decade-old inter-state border issue between Assam & Meghalaya, I & HCM Meghalaya Sri @SangmaConrad visited Lower Lumpi in Kamrup and attended a program there (sic)," he said in a tweet.

 “Along with \Meghalaya chief minister Conrad K Sangma, we conducted a joint inspection of Langpih, one of the villages along the Assam-Meghalaya border. We’re resolute in our commitment to amicably resolve the border issue (sic),” Sarma said.

“We have jointly visited Langpih village at the Meghalaya-Assam border with Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and members of the Regional Committees & interacted with the people from the area. We are committed to resolving the issue as a promise to the people,” Sangma said.

Langpih is one of the 12 areas of dispute between Assam and Meghalaya. Langpih is one of the most underdeveloped villages bordering Kamrup district in Assam and West Khasi Hills district in Meghalaya. The two adjoining states have been claiming ownership of the village for more than half a century.

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