SHILLONG: The state BJP on Tuesday said it would constitute a committee to hold talks with the Assam chief minister to try and end the long-pending inter-state boundary dispute with the neighbouring state while the United Democratic Party (UDP) has urged the Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma to resolve the issue.
State unit president of the BJP, Ernest Mawrie, told reporters here the committee would hold talks with Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal in this regard.
“We will put together a team and meet the Assam chief minister”, he said adding that give-and-take would be the guiding principle to resolve the issue.
With a BJP government in Assam and the party being a part of the one in the state, it is optimistic of finding a solution.
The party is likely to meet the Assam chief minister after March.
Different political parties in the state over the years have exploited the issue mainly for electoral gains and abandoning it once the elections got over.
It may be mentioned that only two chief ministerial level talks have been held between Assam and Meghalaya in the past 10 years. The present MDA government has been talking about having one, but to no avail.
There are 12 areas of difference between the two states and instances of encroachment by Assam — at times leading to violence — are reported from time to time.
UDP plea to CM
In a statement issued here, UDP general secretary Jemino Mawthoh said the party has asked the chief minister to re-examine and re-define the inter-state boundary while the party president, Metbah Lyngdoh, has urged him to find an amicable solution to the vexed problem.
The UDP also said that the issue needs to be discussed at the chief ministerial level asserting that it has created immense hardship to the people living along the border and has also led to violent incidents at times.
Mawthoh said that the UDP president has requested the chief minister to discuss the inter-state and international border issues with the Union Home Minister, Amit Shah.
Mawthoh said that the UDP is concerned about frequent attacks on state residents living along the international border by Bangladeshi nationals who take advantage of the porous borders at places.
