JOWAI, July 9: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday said Assam and Meghalaya will soon resume talks to resolve their long-pending interstate boundary dispute, while stressing that there is no friction between the two neighbouring states.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the concluding day of the Behdienkhlam festival in Jowai, Sarma, however, declined to specify a timeline for the next round of discussions. “There is no friction between us. We are talking amicably and we will soon again talk,” the Assam Chief Minister said.
His remarks come amid efforts by both governments to restart the second phase of negotiations on the six remaining areas of difference along the 884.9-km Assam-Meghalaya border.
Meghalaya Deputy Chief Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar, who heads the state’s Regional Committee for West Jaintia Hills, had recently said the second phase of border talks would resume shortly after the completion of the Assam Assembly elections. He had maintained that Meghalaya was awaiting a date from the Assam government for joint inspections and meetings before the regional committees resume field visits.
The two states had signed a historic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in March 2022 in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, resolving six of the 12 disputed sectors. The agreement covered Tarabari, Gizang, Hahim, Boklapara, Khanapara-Pilangkata and Ratacherra, while the remaining six areas were kept for the second phase of negotiations owing to their greater complexity.
It may be mentioned that while providing the latest official update on the ground position, Assam’s Border Protection and Development Minister Atul Bora told the state Assembly on Wednesday that Meghalaya occupies 3,441.86 hectares of Assam land across five districts — Kamrup, Goalpara, Cachar, South Salmara-Mankachar and West Karbi Anglong.
