GUWAHATI, April 6: Ruling out any possibility of revisiting the areas where disgruntlement has surfaced following the signing of the MoU to resolve the dispute in six out of the 12 areas under dispute, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday said the agreement has already been signed and there was no chance for any reconsideration.
“Everyone cannot be made happy, we should ensure the nation is happy,” Sarma said.
The Assam CM, who attended the passing-out parade at North Eastern Police Academy in Umiam, stated that it was not possible to satisfy all stakeholders with the decisions made, but the greater good had to be taken into consideration.
The chief minister further said the Opposition in Assam has demanded a revisit of the border areas. “But I have answered in the Assembly that these are, after all, land belonging to India. As brothers we have signed an agreement so far as the six sites are concerned. The MoU has been signed in regard to six areas. So we should not reopen the issue,” he said.
Declining to comment on the opposition by some sections to the interstate border deal in Meghalaya, Sarma said, “It is the responsibility of the Meghalaya CM to handle criticism or congratulation. But so far as Assam is concerned, I have replied in the Assembly, and by and large, the civil society in the state is backing the government completely on the border resolution process.”
He pointed out that the second phase of border talks to resolve differences in the six remaining areas is likely to begin “sometime around June or July”.
Speaking to media persons on Wednesday, Sarma however said that at least three or four of these remaining areas of differences have difficult terrain.
“But we are banking on the goodwill that has been created (during the first phase border talks) between the two states and we can start working on resolving differences in the remaining six remaining areas…but how and when it will end it is difficult to predict as of now,” the CM said.
“Now, the Survey of India is working according to the MoU signed (on the resolution in the six relatively less complicated disputed areas) between the two states in the presence of Union home minister recently…The Survey of India will erect border pillars in these areas. And thereafter the entire agreement will be formalised…We also hope to start discussions on the other six areas sometime around June or July this year,” he said.
