Assam, Arunachal to conduct ground level survey of border areas: Himanta

Assam and Arunachal Pradesh decided to conduct ground level survey on the status of inter-state boundary as a step towards resolving the vexed border row, Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

Assam and Arunachal Pradesh on Monday decided to conduct ground level survey on the status of inter-state boundary as a step towards resolving the vexed border row, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

He held a meeting with his Arunachal Pradesh counterpart Pema Khandu here on Monday to discuss the issue.

Following the discussion, Sarma wrote on Twitter, Solving boundary issues with neighbours is our priority.

Assam and Arunachal Pradesh share a 804.1 km-long border and there are 1,200 points of disputes along it and the two states have decided to conduct ground level survey on boundary status.

Discussed with Hon'ble CM of Arunachal Pradesh Sh @PemaKhanduBJP, who came all the way to Guwahati, measures for permanent solution to the long-pending issue, Sarma tweeted.

Arunachal Pradesh was a centrally administered region after Independence and became a union territory later before attaining full statehood in 1987.

Sarma, who has been taking the initiative to resolve Assam's border disputes with its neighbours since assuming office in May last year, had said at a press conference here on Sunday that the differences with Arunachal Pradesh will be solved in "due course of time".

Assam and Meghalaya, after several rounds of talks at different levels, have submitted recommendations to Union Home Minister Amit Shah earlier this month for resolving the dispute in six out of total 12 areas of differences.

Sarma had held talks with Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio here on Sunday, following which the latter told reporters at Kohima on Monday that the two states are ready for an out of court settlement of the long pending inter-state boundary dispute.

Rio said Nagaland and Assam delegations are likely to meet Shah in February to discuss and formulate how to go about the settlement.

Sarma had, however, said on Sunday that verdict of the Supreme Court, which has been hearing the cases related to the inter-state dispute between Assam and Nagaland, can be expected in two-three years and did not indicate any talk between the two states on out of court settlement.

Assam also has boundary issues with Mizoram though no talks have be held as yet to resolve it, the chief minister had said.