SHILLONG, March 4: The chief ministers of Assam and Meghalaya have signed a memorandum of understanding in January in an attempt to resolve the lingering boundary dispute between the two states.
Addressing the Budget session of the Meghalaya Assembly here on Friday, Governor Satya Pal Malik said the government is committed to resolving the state’s long-pending border dispute with Assam to usher in peace and development for the citizens living in the border areas.
“Towards this goal and with a firm resolve to end this dispute, the chief ministers of both the states have had several meetings in the last six months wherein it was decided to first take up six of the 12 areas of difference, i.e., Tarabari, Gizang, Hahim, Boklapara, Khanapara-Pillangkata and Ratacherra. The regional committees headed by the Cabinet ministers made field visits and joint inspections of these six areas with their counterpart regional committees from Assam,” he said.
According to the Governor, the committees consulted the people living in the villages, the traditional heads, district councils and all other stakeholders. He said the two chief ministers met Union Home Minister Amit Shah on January 20 in New Delhi.
“Further, a memorandum of understanding was signed by the chief ministers on January 29 in Guwahati, which was sent to the Ministry of Home Affairs for further examination. We are confident and hopeful the border issue in the six areas of difference will be resolved soon,” he said.
Reclamation of abandoned coal mines
Asserting that the state government is committed to the conservation of forests and the environment for sustainable development, Malik said reclamation of abandoned coal mining areas was being carried out through afforestation in the state.
He said the working scheme for 19 community and private-owned forests covering an area of 1,797 hectares has been prepared during 2021-2022, adding that for reclamation through afforestation of abandoned coal mining areas, more than 9 lakh seedlings have been raised under Meghalaya Environment Protection Restoration Fund and about 2 lakh saplings have been distributed to the public.
“A pilot project for the reclamation of abandoned coal mine areas at Soo Kilo, East Jaintia Hills district has been undertaken,” he said.
Earlier, the Governor said the Mining and Geology department is implementing the Meghalaya Mineral Truck Scanning and Monitoring System to set up 18 integrated smart check gates for automatic monitoring and checking of mineral-laden trucks and has introduced high-security challan and QR code.
“The joint auction by the Meghalaya government and Coal India Limited on assessed coal under the management of coal depot was undertaken during the financial year,” the Governor said.
Development in border areas
The governor also said the Border Areas Development department is implementing the Border Areas Development Programme and the Inter-State Border Areas Development Programme to supplement the schemes implemented by other departments in both international and inter-state border villages.
The governor pointed out that various schemes have been and are being implemented under the above programmes, adding all schemes are implemented in a focused manner reflecting the priorities of the people who are deprived of market access for their products.
“Further, the schemes of scholarship and stipends for the students living in international border villages and pursuing educational study within and outside the state is being implemented,” he added.