GUWAHATI, August 13: Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday said he believed that the border dispute with Meghalaya in six areas of differences could be resolved as the dispute is “minor and limited to just two to four villages” in the areas.
Making a statement on the concluding day of the budget session of Assam Legislative Assembly, Sarma said “Unlike other states (Mizoram or Nagaland), Assam has no historical or constitutional clash with Meghalaya. There are 12 areas of differences between the two states where there are only minor disputes in six areas, involving two to four villages in each of the areas.”
It may be recalled that Assam and Meghalaya held the second round of chief ministerial-level border talks here on August 6 and mutually agreed to move towards finding an amicable solution, starting from six of the 12 areas of differences.
Both states agreed that the six areas, Tarabari, Gizang, Hahim, Baklapara, Khanapara-Pilangkata and Ratacherra, “are less complicated” than the remaining six areas of differences, and hence an amicable solution could be worked out.
“For instance, near Koinadhora and Baklapara, we have four such villages where there is a minor dispute, at Hahim there are three villages and at Ratacherra, there are two villages where the dispute needs to be resolved. So after talks with the Meghalaya chief minister we have decided to resolve six areas of differences which we think can be done,” Sarma told the House.
The six areas of differences fall under West Khasi Hills, Ri Bhoi, East Jaintia Hills districts in Meghalaya and Cachar, Kamrup Metro and Kamrup districts in Assam.
“We have decided to resolve the dispute based on five factors such as historical perspective, ethnicity of people, administrative convenience, consideration of willingness of people and contiguity of land,” the chief minister said.
He further said a resolution of the border dispute in the six areas would create goodwill and help the two states gradually move ahead towards finding solutions in the remaining six areas, where the border dispute is relatively complicated.
Regarding the drone survey by Meghalaya in the Koinadhara area, Sarma clarified that it has been done after due consent from authorities in Assam.
“Both sides have agreed to use drones to understand the boundaries. Assam had already made such a survey,” he said.
The chief minister said both states have constituted three regional committees with five members from each state, led by Cabinet ministers and local MLAs, to visit the six areas of differences in West Khasi Hills, Ri Bhoi, East Jaintia Hills districts, in September.