Assam, Meghalaya meet discussed 3 areas of differences amid border issue

Meghalaya Deputy Chief Minister, Prestone Tynsong on Saturday said that the Meghalaya government and its Assam counterpart have taken a decision relating to three areas of differences amid the border issue between the two states.

"We had a joint regional committee meeting of Assam and Meghalaya. We took a decision relating to three areas of differences. One is Deshdemoreah, and the other ones are Matamur and Borduar. Both sides gave presentations and we discussed all the details. We instructed both the Deputy Commissioners from the Assam side and Meghalaya side to go for the detailed works. We have decided that on August 25, we will meet again, and on August 26, we will go for a site inspection of Deshdemoreah. For the other two spots, we will decide the date later", said the Meghalaya Deputy CM.

On being asked about the agreement on six remaining areas of dispute among 12 ones, Tynsong said, "In the meeting held between the Assam and Meghalaya CM's on May 23, we had agreed that we would decide on the six areas in the second phase of the meeting which was held today. That is why, we have decided that we will conduct an on-spot inspection of Deshdemoreah first and we will take up other areas later".

The regional committee meeting, held at State Guest House, Koinadhora in Guwahati, featured Assam's Agriculture Minister Atul Bora and Meghalaya Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong.

Significantly, Assam and Meghalaya had 12 areas of disputes with regard to their interstate boundaries. However, issues of contention in six areas have already been resolved.

On May 24, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and his Meghalaya counterpart Conrad Sangma held a high-level meeting in Guwahati. In the meeting, the two leaders discussed the border issues in six areas threadbare.

Atul Bora, who is the chairman of the regional committee from Assam, told ANI that in May 24 meeting, the Assam CM and his Meghalaya counterpart decided that the regional committees will jointly visit the border area and study the ground reality while suggesting measures to resolve all contentious issues.

"Accordingly, today, we discussed contentious issues in three areas. We had a good and constructive meeting. We have decided to sit together on August 25 again. However, before that, the deputy commissioners of both states will visit the disputed areas. We will jointly visit the Dimoria site on August 26. Today, the deputy commissioners gave Powerpoint presentations. The chairman and members of the regional committees were present in the meeting," Bora said.

The two CMs on May 24 further decided to make the border talks productive and keep laying the groundwork for resolving the decade-old border issues.

The regional committees will also take different stakeholders into confidence in a bid to reach a mutually agreeable solution to border disputes.