NEW DELHI:
Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma and his Assam counterpart Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday signed a “historic” agreement in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah here for settlement of the inter-state boundary dispute between the two states, in respect of 6 out of 12 areas of difference.
Immediately after signing the agreement, Sangma said that Survey of India will soon visit the identified areas to demarcate the boundary.
“The Survey of India along with the representatives of Assam and Meghalaya will soon visit the identified areas and villages to demarcate the border,” he said at the North Block, which houses the Ministry of Home Affairs.
“Out of 12 areas of difference, we have come to an agreement with Assam on six areas. Further, a survey will be done by Survey of India with both states’ involvement, and when that’s done, actual demarcation will take place,” said Sangma. He further informed that the MoU was signed for a total of 36 sq km. “And roughly about 18 sq km plus-minus will go to both Assam and Meghalaya,” the chief minister said.
Sangma also expressed his gratitude to the regional committees & officers for their hard work.
A senior Home Ministry official present in the signing ceremony told The Meghalayan that both Assam and Meghalaya have agreed that the agreement is full and final in respect of the six areas of difference and that no new areas of difference shall be added in the future beyond the already identified 12.
“The detailed survey for demarcation of boundary is to be undertaken by the Survey of India in presence of the representatives from both the state governments,” the official said.
“History is made today. There are always challenges. There will always be people in the opposition. What is important is that we have achieved a milestone and are able to resolve the situation that was pending for the past 50 years. We are hopeful of finding solutions in other areas too,” said Sangma.
The agreement resolved disputes in areas involving 36 square kilometres.
“It’s an ongoing process and we will try to resolve the issue as soon as possible,” said Sangma.
He admitted that there can’t be a perfect solution to “border disputes.”
“There will never be a perfect solution. Though, we worked on the best solution. We are happy that we have come out with the best possible solution,” said Sangma.
“An area of 36 square kilometers was resolved with both the states getting 50:50 per cent. We have identified the areas and villages where the Survey of India will do the exact demarcation,” he said.
“We gave importance to people’s sentiment as well as took “historical facts and maps into consideration,” said Sangma.
We thank the honourable Home minister, it was his honest direction that both the state governments came together and took the steps seriously,” Sangma said.
“I thank him and thank Assam chief minister for all the work that has been done from Assam government side and regional committee members and officials,” he added.
Assam chief minister echoed him terming the agreement as “historic” while castigating the erstwhile Congress regime for all the ongoing border disputes among the Northeastern states.
“In 1972 Meghalaya was carved out of Assam. That time Congress could have resolved the disputes… from 1972 people here have been fighting with each other. Under the Congress regime, the State Reorganisation Committee was also not able to do anything,” said Sarma and added “the border dispute sometimes turned violent.”
Addressing the signing ceremony, the Home minister said development of the North East is not possible unless disputes between states are resolved.
“Today another 50-year-old dispute is going to be resolved with this agreement. In a very short span of time, six out of 12 issues have been settled between Assam and Meghalaya and about 70 per cent of the border between the two states has become dispute-free…the development of the North East is not possible unless disputes between states are resolved,”
Shah said that today is a historic day for a dispute-free North East. “Narendra Modi has made several efforts for the peace process, development, prosperity and promotion of the cultural heritage of the North East, which we all have witnessed, since 2014, when he became the Prime Minister,” said Shah.