The administrative silence from Assam places a question mark on Meghalaya’s ambitious 45-day deadline for its committees to submit their reports
SHILLONG, July 6: Three years after Phase-II of the Meghalaya-Assam border talks hit a stalemate, the push to resolve the remaining six disputed areas remains stuck in a diplomatic waiting room, with Shillong still awaiting a formal nod from Dispur to restart the engine.
Despite the Meghalaya government recently reconstituting three Regional Committees, Deputy Chief Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar confirmed on Monday that the state is yet to receive any formal communication from Assam regarding the appointment of its own panels.
This administrative silence from Assam places a question mark on Meghalaya’s ambitious 45-day deadline for its committees to submit their reports. While the clock is technically ticking for the local panels, their mandate—which includes joint inspections and coordinating with Assam counterparts—cannot begin in earnest until Dispur joins the table.
Dhar clarified that once discussions resume, the committees will not start from scratch. “It will be a continuity of the exercise done by the previous regional committees,” he said, adding that joint inspections of the disputed zones will depend on the consensus of the reconstituted panels.
The committees are tasked with verifying village claims against official records, establishing geographical contiguity, and examining demographic profiles. Crucially, they are also expected to prepare an “as-is” register of public assets and engage directly with local residents who have spent years caught in the jurisdictional vacuum.
Regarding the long-standing demand to re-transfer land in Block I, Dhar stated the matter would be discussed “in detail” by the committee.
When questioned on the current security and social climate in Lapangap—a frequent flashpoint for border tension—the Deputy Chief Minister maintained that the situation is currently “normal” and that residents are continuing their cultivation. However, the ground reality for these border farmers remains tethered to the slow pace of diplomacy.
Acknowledging the stalled progress, Dhar admitted the complexity of the task ahead. “The issue is complicated and difficult but not impossible,” he said. “We just have to work harder to resolve the dispute.”
