Assam chief minister – Himanta Biswa Sarma will meet Meghalaya chief minister – Conrad Sangma to discuss the vexed inter-state boundary issue in Shillong on July 23.
Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma will be in Shillong for the meeting one day ahead of the visit of Union Home Minister – Amit Shah to Meghalaya on July 24.
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Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma informed that the Assam chief minister will be in Shillong on July 23 and the two chief ministers will hold talks on the boundary issue.
Conrad Sangma met Himanta Biswa Sarma in Guwahati on July 17 and discussed the need to find amicable solution to the decades-old boundary dispute between Meghalaya and Assam.
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“We had a one-to-one conversation for 45 minutes and discussed about this issue. During the meeting, it was decided that the Assam CM will come to Shillong on July 23 and the chief secretary of Assam will be present in the meeting. In the meeting some presentations will be made by both the states,” Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma said.
After this discussion, another meeting will take place in Guwahati on the boundary issue where a team of officials from both the states will be present.
“We want to find acceptable solution and end this long pending problem and move forward to find an amicable solution,” Sangma said.
On the statement of Assam chief minister in the Assembly that Meghalaya has encroached in 53 areas inside Assam territory, including 40 in West Karbi Anglong District, and 13 in Kamrup District, the Meghalaya CM said, “There has been claims and counter claims (movement from Assam side and Meghalaya side too), but both the states need fresh approach in order to solve this issue. The past needs to be kept in mind, but keeping it too much, it may not help, as we have to move forward.”
Asked if Meghalaya would stick to the 12 areas of difference where documents have been also submitted to Assam few years back, Conrad stated that Meghalaya is sticking to the 12 areas of difference.
As part of the many exercises required to be adopted in the process of finding a solution to the issue, the Meghalaya CM said that there might be joint visit in some areas by the officials of both the states.
Talking about the involvement of stake holders like the district councils, the Meghalaya CM said, “Some documents have been given by district council also, and we have to do homework and take everybody on board.”
He was also of the view that out of many areas of difference, finding solution can be also by breaking the problems into micro/small ones to be able to solve them.