Assam-Meghalaya Border Dispute: CMs of two states signed MoU in presence of HM Amit Shah

Mukesh Ranjan

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 29

The Chief Ministers of Assam and Meghalaya today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) here to resolve long-pending border dispute between the two states in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

According to official sources, the MoU has been signed by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Kongkal Sangma to resolve six of the 12 sore border points between the two states.

Speaking during the event here at the North Block, Union Home Minister Shah, while congratulating the two Chief Ministers and people of the two states, said, “I am happy that both the parties agreed to resolve the 50-year-old dispute. This agreement is in line with the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who wants to make the North-East of India prosperous and secure.”

The Home Minister further said that though the two states have agreed to resolve six of the 12 points of border dispute, “it is heartening to note that in terms of geographical spread, it covers 70 percent of the area”. He went on to add that the rest of the points of difference would be resolved soon.        

On January 31, the chief ministers of Assam and Meghalaya had submitted a draft resolution to the Union Home Minister Shah for examination and consideration by the MHA, which comprised of six of the 12 “areas of difference” along the 884-kilometre boundary.

Assam will keep 18.51 square kilometres of land, and will give Meghalaya 18.28 square kilometres of land, according to the MoU signed for the 36.79 square kilometres of land.

Meghalaya was carved out of Assam in 1972, which is when the dispute arose. As a result of different readings of the demarcation of boundaries in the initial agreement for Meghalaya’s creation, border issues were created.

Meanwhile, earlier in the day Himanta Biswa Sarma called on the Prime Minister Narendra and apprised him of the various development projects and welfare schemes being implemented in Assam. “Called on Adarniya Pradhan Mantri Narendra Modi in New Delhi and apprised him of the various development projects and welfare schemes being implemented in Assam. Also sought his blessings and guidance for further accelerating the pace of growth in our State,” Sarma said in a tweet.

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