By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Mar 28: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday said three of the pending six disputed areas in phase two can be resolved at any point in time, but the Meghalaya government wants to resolve all six together.
He also said efforts to resolve the problem are in progress.
“From the Assam side, we are eager to resolve the pending dispute. Six disputes are there; three out of the six we can resolve at any point in time. I think Meghalaya is waiting to see that the other three are resolved together. We will keep on working, and I am sure that the pending six will also be resolved mutually,” he said on the sidelines of a passing-out parade at the North Eastern Police Academy (NEPA).
Replying to a query on the time needed to resolve the dispute, he said, “This involves the sentiments of the people of both the states. So, the timeframe is not good, but, at the same time, we should hope and pray that it will be resolved sooner rather than later.”
Asked about the status of the six areas of difference resolved in the first phase, he said, “The Survey of India is doing the demarcation and they are proceeding well, but whatever we have signed in the presence of the Home Minister is binding on both the governments.”
In March 2022, the governments of Assam and Meghalaya signed an agreement to resolve their 50-year-old border dispute in six of the 12 locations, which Union Home Minister Amit Shah described as a “historic day” for the Northeast.
The two states agreed to address the border dispute in phases.
Out of the 12 points of contention, the six areas with relatively fewer differences were taken up in the first phase. These were Gizang, Tarabari, Boklapara, Khanapara-Pilingkata, Ratacherra and Hahim.
According to the agreement, Assam retained 18.51 sq km of the total 36.79 sq km of disputed land in these areas.
In the second phase, both sides are working to resolve differences in Langpih, Borduar, Deshdoonreah, Block I-II, Pisar-Khanduli, and Nongwah-Mawtamur (Garbhanga).
Call for united fight against drug menace
Sarma also called for a united fight against the menace of drugs.
“I am of the view that all the state governments are doing whatever is the best. This is a big menace and the drug traffickers have various modus operandi. I think if we continue to attack the drug cartels collectively, we are going to win the war. Every state is working but we have a lot of things to do,” said Sarma.
Stating that it is a long battle and the states have to have patience, he said they will have to continue arresting people and seizing drugs to break the drug economy.
“They (drug cartels) have other methodologies also. They drop drugs using drones…It is a big game. Had it (problem) been easy, it would have been resolved long back,” Sarma said.
He said the drug kingpins are there across the border and they push drugs through agents. Sometimes, it comes in a huge quantity and sometimes, it comes in such a small quantity that one cannot detect it, he added.
“They can even take it by walking. If a person from Guwahati starts walking to Shillong with drugs in his pocket, it will be very difficult to find that out. So, they adopt various methodologies. The police have to work better than them,” the Assam chief minister said.
“It is not just Assam and Meghalaya as such. The whole world is fighting against drug traffickers. It is a big business and there will be many hidden actors in it,” he added.