Guahati, Sep 21: Assam Chief Minister, Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma and Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga met in New Delhi on Wednesday and reviewed the ministerial-level meeting on the inter-state border issues held in Aizawl last month.
Speaking to media persons after the brief meeting at Assam House, the Assam chief minister said he discussed with his Mizoram counterpart various issues concerning both the states.
“Regarding the border issue, a high-level ministerial team from Assam had recently visited Aizawl. Today, we met and held a review of the meeting between the ministerial delegations of the two states on August 9. We expressed our satisfaction regarding the progress of the border talks so far,” Sarma said.
“We are in the process of forming regional committees to discuss the border problem and resolve the issue,” he added.
Assam and Mizoram share a 164.6 km long border.
It may be mentioned that the meeting between the two chief ministers was scheduled to be held at the national capital on Monday but had to be deferred till Wednesday as Sarma had to return to Assam.
The two leaders had met in New Delhi in November last year in the presence of Union home minister Amit Shah where they agreed to form panels comprising respective stakeholders to resolve the border dispute amicably.
The two states held negotiations at the minister level in Aizawl on August 9 this year.
A joint statement issued after the talks said that economic activities such as cultivation and farming along the border areas would be allowed to continue regardless of the administrative control presently exercised by either state at such locations, subject to forest regulations and after informing the deputy commissioners concerned.
“Both the states agreed to promote and maintain peace and to prevent any untoward incident along the borders, the deputy commissioners of the bordering districts of both the states shall meet at least once in two months,” the joint statement signed last month read.
Meanwhile, the next round of minister-level talks between Assam and Mizoram is scheduled to be held in Guwahati even as the date has not been finalised.
It may be recalled that the first round of talks between the ministerial delegations was held in Aizawl on August 5, 2021, ten days after clashes between police forces of both states along the border during which six policemen and a civilian died while around 60 persons were injured.