Shillong: The United Democratic Party (UDP) and Hill State People”s Democratic Party (HSPDP) supporting the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance government have demanded resumption of chief ministerial-level talks with Assam to solve the border issue with the neighbouring state.
A delegation of the two parties called on Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on Monday and told him for resumption of talks to solve the border problem.
“We have expressed before the CM on the need to propose to Assam government to resume the dialogue and make attempt for a permanent solution of the boundary dispute which includes Block I and II and some areas in Garo Hills,” UDP chief adviser and former deputy chief minister, Bindo M Lanong said on Monday.
He said the delegation also informed the chief minister about the report of the YV Chandrachud Committee, which was constituted in 1985 to look into the boundary dispute between Assam and Meghalaya.
“In its report submitted in 1987, the Chandrachud Committee could not propose anything as there was no proposal at all as they simply reported that Meghalaya had expressed its own position about the boundary tracing back to the Khasi states and their boundaries and that they would like to go back to the boundaries existed then,” he said.
Lanong said the governments of Assam and Meghalaya should respect and maintain the status quo as far as the areas of differences are concerned.
“We would like people of Assam to respect the sentiments of the people of Meghalaya and our Meghalayans also should respect the sentiments of the people of Assam,” he said.
Lanong said that the chief minister has assured the delegation that he would take up with Assam for resumption of border talks in order to find a permanent solution on the boundary dispute. PTI
