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CM Himanta Biswa Sarma holds all-party meeting over Assam-Meghalaya border issue

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Guwahati: To resolve the Assam-Meghalaya border issue in six out of 12 disputed areas, Assam Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday held a meeting with the representatives of all political parties of the state in Guwahati.

During the meeting, the political parties agreed with the decisions taken by the state government to settle the decade-long border dispute with Meghalaya.

A roadmap for amicable settlement has been prepared based on recommendations of three regional committees with representatives from both the states.

During the meeting, CM Sarma said, “Our efforts to resolve the Assam-Meghalaya border row have started bearing fruits as 6 of the 12 areas of difference have been identified for resolution in the first phase”.

The areas of differences from the Assam side taken up for final settlement are Hahim, Gizang, Tarabari, Boklapara, Khanapara-Pillingkata and Ratacherra.

“We have reached this stage after several rounds of CM-level talks on the matter,” CM Sarma said.

On the other hand, Assam Education Minister Dr Ranoj Pegu said that talks with the Meghalaya government were initiated to resolve the aged-old boundary dispute and finally discussions have come to some sort of conclusion.

“We have identified 12 disputed areas and we have arrived at consensus on six points. A meeting of all political parties was held at Koinadhara today and the Assam Chief Minister chaired the meeting and we briefed all the political parties about the outcome of the result. Everybody welcomed the initiative taken by the government to resolve the dispute in six points. We are very hopeful that an amicable settlement will be made on the rest of six points also through discussions. The inter-state boundary is a matter of the central government, so we have to inform the Union Home Ministry and I think something will be worked out very shortly,” Ranoj Pegu said.

Congress MLA Rekibuddin Ahmed said, “The Congress party has appealed to the state government that the issue should be discussed in the state assembly also”.

“We want to resolve the decades-long boundary dispute with Meghalaya. Earlier, many untoward incidents happened due to border row. We are hopeful that after the settlement, a peaceful environment will be placed in bordering areas,” added Ahmed.

Recently, the three regional committees each constituted by both the Assam and Meghalaya governments submitted their reports to the respective Chief Minister.

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