Assam-M’laya border talks to settle disputes at remaining 6 sites to begin this month: CM Sangma

The inter-state border talks between Assam and Meghalaya to resolve the border disputes in the remaining 6 of the 12 areas will begin this month, informed Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma.

CM Conrad Sangma said that he had spoken to his Assam counterpart Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and they have already exchanged two to three probable dates and are finalising everything.

CM Sangma is hopeful of starting the talks in May.

It may be mentioned here that Assam and Meghalaya have 12 areas of dispute along the interstate border and began discussions to resolve the decades-long boundary dispute in July 2021.

In the first phase of talks, the governments of Assam and Meghalaya came to an understanding and resolved differences in the six of the 12 areas which are Hahim, Gizang, Tarabari, Boklapara, Khanapara-Pilingkata, and Ratacherra in August 2022.

The remaining 6 disputed areas include –Block I, Block II, Langpih, Khanduli, Psiar, and Barduar.

In November last year, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma during his first term had stated that the process for the second round of talks between both states for settling the border issue had become “slightly complicated”, following the death of 6 people including an Assam forest guard in police firing at Mukroh village on November 22. Mukroh falls in Block I.

While Assam claims that the village is part of the Jirikinding police station area in West Karbi Anglong, Meghalaya maintains that Mukroh is in the West Jaintia Hills district.