Assam-Meghalaya Border Row: Himanta Sarma, Conrad Sangma To Hold Second Round Of Talks
The fresh talks come more than a year after the first round ended with both the CMs signing an MoU in Delhi to end border disputes in six areas.
The second round of talks between Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and his Meghalaya counterpart Conrad Sangma to resolve border disputes in six remaining areas will be held on Wednesday. Both the CMs will also visit the disputed areas later as a goodwill gesture, PTI reported.
"The Meghalaya CM will come here tomorrow and discussion will be held on finding solutions for the remaining six areas," Sarma said.
The first round of border talks were held in March last year and it ended after both chief ministers signed an MoU in Delhi to end the border disputes in six areas. The MoU was signed in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Last year in November, the border issue flared up after six people, including an Assam Forest Guard, were killed during an alleged clash between the Assam Police and a mob in an area bordering the West Karbi Anglong district of Assam and Mukroh village in Meghalaya's West Jaintia Hills.
The Assam Police had claimed they opened fire in self defence after a mob surrounded them when they were trying to intercept a truck allegedly smuggling timber. Five of those killed are from Meghalaya.
Assam and Meghalaya share a 884.9-km-long border and have a protracted dispute in 12 areas.
Meghalaya was carved out of Assam in 1972 and had since then challenged the Assam Reorganisation Act of 1971, which is recognised by Assam as its border.
Meanwhile, Sarma said Assam had sent its proposal to the Nagaland government over oil exploration along the disputed boundary between the two states.
"We have sent our proposal to the Nagaland government and we are now waiting for their response. We have not pursued the matter much as it was Nagaland who had sought our views. Now it is up to them," PTI quoted Sarma as saying.
In April, Sarma and his Nagaland counterpart Neiphiu Rio agreed in principle to go ahead with oil exploration in areas along their disputed boundary for the economic benefit of both states.
"Assam and Nagaland are exploring all options to bring an end to the decades-old border imbroglio in an amicable manner," a statement by the Assam government had said after the meeting between the two chief ministers.
Rio told reporters later that Assam and Nagaland have decided to go for an MoU on oil exploration so that oil can be extracted and royalties can be shared between the states.
Assam shares a 512.1-km border with Nagaland. The boundary dispute, which erupted since the creation of Nagaland in 1963, is now pending before the Supreme Court for a resolution.
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