CMs of Assam, Meghalaya meet in Guwahati, discuss border dispute

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and his Meghalaya counterpart Conrad K Sangma on Wednesday decided to visit the disputed sites along the inter-state border next month, where tension has been prevailing since November last year after the killing of 6 people.

“The people on both sides will feel confident and they will be assured that both the states are willing to resolve the differences and end the disputes with a spirit of the long-existing friendship between the people of Meghalaya and Assam,” Sarma said after the meeting with Sangma.

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This was the second round of talks between the two CMs for finding an amicable solution to the five-decades-long disputes on the inter-state borders.

Sangma said this was the beginning of the process to find a solution for the remaining six areas of differences. “We have asked regional committees to do fact-finding and start the same process as was done for the first phase of talks… We will consult with stakeholders and we hope to get the reports very soon, some areas may take time and some will be faster,” he said.

The two states had signed an agreement in March last year to end disputes in six sites. But the efforts to find a solution to the disputes hit a setback after six Meghalaya villagers were killed in firing by the Assam Police and forest personnel in November in an area bordering Assam’s Karbi Anglong district and West Jaintia Hills district of Meghalaya.

Both the CMs will sit for another meeting in July where a review of the progress made by the regional committees towards a solution will be assessed.