From Our Special Correspondent
GUWAHATI, Sep 30: Meghalaya and Assam are on the verge of finalising the boundary pillars in the six areas of differences where a consensus was arrived at and an MoU signed in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah last year.
“We are happy to inform the people of Assam and Meghalaya that after a very long drawn exercise we are now on the verge of finalising the actual pillars/posts and boundary lines in the first six areas of differences on which we had signed an MoU in the presence of the Union home minister,” Meghalaya chief minister Conrad Sangma informed media persons after a chief minister-level meeting on the inter-state border issues here on Saturday evening.
It may be recalled that the two states had signed an MoU on March 29, 2022 in New Delhi in the presence of Shah after reaching a consensus on six areas, including Hahim, Gizang, Tarabari, Boklapara, Khanapara-Pilangkata and Ratacherra.
“Today, we have approved and given the green signal for the Hahim sector where the survey has been conducted by the Survey of India, along with Assam and Meghalaya government officials and the (boundary) line has been finalised there,” Sangma said.
“In the rest of the five areas of differences, the actual line and demarcation by the Survey of India, along with officials of the respective state governments, should be completed by December 31, 2023. This is a major push towards resolving the inter-state border issues,” he said.
The chief-ministerial level meeting here also discussed areas under the second phase of the settlement such as Khanduli-Psiar, Block 1 and Block 2, Borduar, Langpih, Desh Doomreah and Nongwah-Mawtamur.
“In today’s meeting, we also discussed other six areas of differences. In three areas, we are moving very aggressively to resolve the issues. We have taken a decision that both the regional committees should try to come to a conclusion at the earliest,” Sangma said.
Referring to the Block 1 Khanduli-Psiar area where there has been some violence, both the governments have decided that police forces from the respective state governments would move back from the areas of confrontation, where a neutral force – CRPF – would be requested to position their forces.
“In areas where the border outposts are there, we will be asking the CRPF (neutral force) to come in so that the people of the area, from both sides, feel comfortable…Police forces will also be pulled back by both states in certain areas. This is being done to build confidence among people and send a positive message to ensure there is no violence. At the same time we have asked senior officials and regional committee chairpersons to visit the areas,” Sangma said.
“We have also decided that both chief ministers would be visiting Khanduli-Psiar during the fourth week of October this year,” he said, adding that efforts were being made to arrive at an amicable and mutually acceptable solution.
Mukroh probe
Addressing reporters after the meeting, the Assam CM announced that “as a confidence building measure, both states have decided to wind up the respective judicial commissions instituted to inquire the Mukroh firing as the inquiries have not made much progress with witnesses from the respective states not turning up.”
“Instead, both the states have decided to now request CBI to investigate the Mukroh firing and urge the central investigation agency not to register the case in Shillong or Guwahati but in a neutral venue so that the central investigation agency can probe the incident,” Sarma said.
In regard to the other six areas of differences where a consensus has not arrived as yet, he said, “Assam is ready to resolve the border dispute in Langpih, Borduar and Desh Doomreah, because these are non- Sixth Schedule areas where we have more flexibility. But of course the final modalities will have to be prepared by the regional committees. We have asked the regional committees to make a presentation before the Meghalaya CM within a short time and a final decision will be taken at the chief ministerial level.”
“We hope to visit Khanduli-Psiar in the last week of October and thereafter carry forward the discussion in the next two months so that at least in three disputed areas, we can show some positive results…We will subsequently visit the remaining three areas, talk to residents and resolve them,” Sarma said.