Opposition stresses on retransfer of areas
SHILLONG: Chief Minister Mukul Sangma has written to his counterpart in Assam Sarbananda Sonowal to resume the pending bilateral dialogue to solve the border dispute with the neighbouring state even as Opposition leader Donkupar Roy suggested that the government should first ask Assam to retransfer areas under Block I and Block II to Meghalaya.
In reply to a question raised by HSPDP’s KP Pangniang on Monday, the Chief Minister told the Assembly that he had written to his counterpart on July 28 this year on the need to resume talks.
“Besides personally meeting the Assam counterpart on the sidelines of a meeting, I have also written to him for the resumption of dialogue,” Sangma said.
According to Sangma, after the Meghalaya Assembly passed a resolution for the constitution of a boundary commission, the Assam Assembly rejected it by way of another resolution.
To a question by Ardent Basaiawmoit of HSPDP, the Chief Minister said the State government had taken serious steps to document the areas of differences along the border to substantiate the State’s claim over these areas.
“The documentation with necessary maps and official notifications was sent to the counterpart and the Assam government is still taking time to respond,” the Chief Minister said.
To a supplementary question by Roy on the need to retransfer villages under Block 1 and Block II, which were transferred to Assam for administrative convenience in 1957, the Chief Minister said if there was a need to segregate, the matter would be discussed with Assam.