Border disputes: CS-level meet within this month

SHILLONG: Some progress in talks on the vexed border dispute between Meghalaya and Assam can be finally expected when the chief secretaries of the neighbouring states sit across the discussion table sometime later this month in Shillong.

Informing this on Saturday, Chief Secretary WMS Pariat said that the meeting scheduled to be held in Shillong within this month will discuss issues pertaining to the border dispute and at the same time to draw up action plans to end the decades-old disputes.

When asked about the reasons behind the delay in solving the issue, Pariat said, “Boundary problems have been there since Day One, in 1971 and the complexity of the issue has resulted in the delay in solving this problem.”

Despite the chief secretaries having convened meetings from time to time, no concrete solution has been identified as yet to resolve the issues once and for all.

“Efforts have been undertaken from both sides and since this problem is very complex, we have to be very careful before reaching any conclusion,” the Chief Secretary stated.

Pariat, however, made it clear that pressures and interventions from certain groups will not help solve the problem in any way.

Asked whether the State Government will consider holding talks with these pressure groups on the border disputes, the Chief Secretary said, “This is a sensitive issue and they (pressure groups) should understand the problems that might stem from any kinds of forceful action.”

The Chief Secretary, however, called upon the pressure groups to work together with the government to find a solution to this long-pending issue.