Assam Minister of Forest and Environment Chandra Mohan Patowary met his Meghalaya counterpart Paul Lyngdoh in Shillong to resolve the long-standing border dispute between the neighbouring states. In the meeting, it decided to find ways to bring about a permanent solution to the border issues at Lampi in Assam's Kamrup district, which borders West Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya.
A meeting of regional committees of both the states was held on Monday to find a mutually acceptable solution to the border dispute.
Three regional committees were set up in August 2021 to resolve the boundary dispute in a phased manner.
Patowary, who is the guardian minister of Assam's Kamrup district, under which the disputed areas falls, and his Meghalaya counterpart Lyngdoh, who is the chairman of the regional committee for West Khasi Hills district, led the panels.
Speaking to the media after the meeting, Assam Minister Patowary said, "Both the regional committees had a very fruitful meeting in a very congenial environment. The disputed areas have now been narrowed down and both regional committee members will visit the identified areas in September end after the assembly sessions in both the states. Views of all stakeholders will be taken during the visit and a settlement will be reached."
Patowary expressed confidence that permanent solution to the long-standing border issues would be arrived at an early date.
On May 24, a high-level meeting between Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and his Meghalaya counterpart Conrad K Sangma was held in Guwahati to find an amicable solution to the border dispute between both the states.
It was decided in the meeting that Chief Ministers of both the states would make joint visits to the disputed areas to find an early solution to the issues.
Assam and Meghalaya earlier had 12 areas of disputes along the border. On March 29, 2022, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed to resolve disputes in six of the 12 areas.
Earlier this year, both the states signed another MoU to end the border row in the remaining six areas.
Meghalaya was carved out of Assam in 1972. The hill state challenged the Assam Reorganisation Act of 1971, which led to disputes in a total of 12 areas between Assam and Meghalaya, along the 884.9 km-long boundary between the states.