Amit Shah to chair meeting with Assam-Meghalaya CMs over border row

A senior official in the Home Minister told ETV Bharat that the meeting which is likely to take place at Shah's residence in the afternoon will also be attended by home secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla.

New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah will chair a crucial meeting with Chief Ministers of Assam and Meghalaya on Thursday in New Delhi to resolve the decades-long border tussle between both States.

A senior official in the Home Minister told ETV Bharat that the meeting which is likely to take place at Shah's residence in the afternoon will also be attended by home secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla.

Senior officials from both the State governments will also be present in the meeting. The official said that Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma have come to an understanding over six disputed borders areas between both States.

A final agreement over disputed border issues also assumes special significance for Home Minister Shah as he has taken personal initiative to resolve the different border disputes that prevail in the Northeast States.

Apart from the Assam-Meghalaya border, continuous disputes are going on between Assam and Nagaland, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.

Significantly, both Sarma and Sangma following several meetings have come to a unanimous decision for a final settlement over six disputed border areas between the two States.

Both the Chief Ministers have decided to settle their disputes in six areas including Hahim, Gizang, Tarabari, Boklapara, Khanapara-Pillingkata, and Ratacherra.

Sarma and Sangma have decided to adopt the give-and-take approach to resolve the decades-long border tussle.

Accordingly, of the total 36.79 sq km disputed areas in these six places, Assam will get 18.51 sq km area and Meghalaya will get 18.28 sq kilometer. It may be mentioned here that there are 12 disputed border areas between Assam and Meghalaya.

Earlier, both States had set up three regional committees with representatives from both the States.

A senior Assam government official told this correspondent that a roadmap for an amicable settlement has been prepared based on the recommendations of these three regional committees.

On several occasions both the States witnessed skirmishes along with the border areas.

Last year in August, tension grew up in the border areas of Ri Bhoi district after Assam police personnel posted in the border areas allegedly assaulted youths from Meghalaya.

Ironically, the border dispute between Assam and Mizoram witnessed a violent clash where at least five Assam police personnel were killed and several others were injured.