SHILLONG:
West Khasi Hills Regional committee chairperson on the inter-state boundary dispute Renikton Lyngdoh Tongkhar on Monday said that the government would like to settle the long-pending boundary dispute with Assam before the state goes to polls in 2023.
“But we also know that the remaining six areas of dispute are very tough to settle,” Tongkhar said.
He said the government will definitely initiate talks on the other six areas of difference in Phase II.
“But we will have to see where and up to what extent we will be able to settle this,” the West Khasi Hills Regional committee chairperson said.
Tongkhar also termed settlement in the six areas during the first phase would be one of the big achievements of this government.
“We have really fought hard to bring to closure the dispute in the first six areas of difference. So if we are able to settle 50 per cent of the areas of differences that itself would be a big achievement,” he added.
He said that in the second phase not only Langpih, but other areas also would be difficult to resolve.
Tongkhar said that the other six areas that are on the verge of being settled by the governments of Meghalaya and Assam in the first phase have inspired both the states to be able to settle the other six too.
“This will give inspiration to the people also to cooperate and to help the two state governments to be able to settle the rest,” Tongkhar added.
Meanwhile Hill State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP) president KP Pangniang said that Meghalaya was declared a state on January 21, 1972 and 12 areas of differences should have been settled then only.
The HSPDP chief said that the boundary should have been demarcated 50 years back and not when the state is celebrating its Golden Jubilee year.
“This is 2022, we are celebrating the state’s golden jubilee formation and we are still talking about inter-state boundary demarcation,” Pangniang.
He said that now the government is struggling and trying its best to find a permanent solution to the problem.
Pangniang said that one should be grateful to the present government under the able leadership of Chief Minister Conrad Sangma and the “big heart” of the Chief Minister of Assam Himanta Biswa Sarma.