SHILLONG, Nov 21: Chief Minister, Conrad K Sangma on Sunday said his statement that the government will try to find solution in six of the 12 locations of the state’s boundary dispute with Assam before Christmas was misconstrued.
“I had said we are working towards a solution and have started off with six locations. I had also said we need to find some solution to some of the issues in the six locations,” Sangma told reporters.
The clarification comes close on the heels of the Congress’s statement that the state will witness a restive Christmas if the government hurries in signing the border deal.
Stating that a section of the media twisted his words, he said he had never stated about finding a solution to all 12 locations. He said he has been very clear all along that this is a very complex problem.
“One cannot expect that we will be able to solve everything in a day. I had stated that the process has started,” the CM said.
He said both states are certain that they will be able to find some solution to the problem in some of the regions, especially the six areas taken up in the first phase.
“We are hopeful that it can happen even before Christmas. I am clarifying to the Opposition that we are moving in a very aggressive way in trying to find a solution,” Sangma said.
Some serious efforts are being made this time around. The different regional committees conducted more than 15 to 20 visits to the interstate border by spending hours together to reach the sites, he said.
The CM said based on the recommendations and reports submitted by the different committees, the government will try to achieve a 100% solution.
He alleged the Congress had done nothing to resolve this long-pending issue while it was in power.
“The Congress would always finish the meeting on interstate boundary dispute with status quo,” Sangma said.
There are 12 areas of differences and in the first phase six ‘less-complicated’ areas have been taken up. Both states have constituted three regional committees each towards resolving the protracted problem.
The committees, each headed by a minister, have already conducted joint visits to the disputed areas and spoke to the residents to try and understand the problem.
After Sangma’s recent remarks, Congress leader, Ampareen Lyngdoh had said, “We are looking at a restless Christmas. This is absolutely not fair and we cannot allow the government to put a seal and agree to any plan without the legislators being privy to it.”