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Express News Service
GUWAHATI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah will hold a crucial meeting with the Assam and Meghalaya Chief Ministers on Tuesday to finalise a draft resolution of the two states towards settling their boundary dispute in six of the 12 areas.
Official sources said senior officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs would also attend the meeting in New Delhi.
In August last year, the two states had mutually agreed to find a solution to the dispute in the six “less complicated” areas in the first phase based on historical facts, ethnicity, administrative convenience, willingness of the people and their overall sense of sentiments and contiguity of the land in disputes.
The areas are Tarabari, Gizang, Hahim, Boklapara, Khanapara-Pillangkata and Ratacherra – falling under West Khasi Hills, Ri Bhoi and East Jaintia Hills districts of Meghalaya and Cachar, Kamrup (Metro) and Kamrup districts of Assam.
In due course, the two states constituted three regional committees each. The members of the committees, each headed by a Cabinet minister, visited the disputed areas and held public meetings. After a fair understanding of the problem, they submitted their reports to the respective governments.
The draft resolution was prepared based on their recommendations. The disputes in the six areas cover 36.79 sq km of land. According to the recommendations, 18.51 sq km will go to Assam and the remaining 18.28 sq km to Meghalaya.
Now that the two states are on the verge of resolving the problem in six areas, there is concern on both sides.
The Opposition parties besides various organisations in the two states are wary of a raw deal. They feel their state is compromising more than the other. Also, the locals of some villages staged a protest expressing reluctance to be part of the other state.
Meghalaya was carved out of Assam in 1972. The boundary disputes evolved over a period of time. The numerous high-level meetings between the two states in the past had always ended with a resolution to maintain the status quo.
On January 29 this year, the two states had signed a memorandum of understanding. It is expected to yield the principles for the next phase of discussions on the remaining six areas, considered complicated.
Assam also has border disputes with Nagaland, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh.
Fact file
There are 12 areas of disputes. The six taken up in the first phase cover an area of 36.79 sq km. According to recommendations, 18.51 sq km will go to Assam and 18.28 sq km to Meghalaya.
Hahim (dispute is in 3.51 sq km. Recommendation is Assam will get 0.3 sq km, Meghalaya 3.21 sq km)
Gizang (dispute is in 13.53 sq km. Recommendation is Assam will get 10.63 sq km, Meghalaya 2.9 sq km)
Tarabari (dispute is in 4.69 sq km. Recommendation is entire 4.69 sq km will go to Meghalaya)
Boklapara (dispute is in 1.57 sq km. Recommendation is Assam will get 1.01 sq km, Meghalaya 0.56 sq km)
Khanapara-Pillingkata (dispute is in 2.29 sq km. Recommendation is Assam will get 1.79 sq km, Meghalaya 0.5 sq km)
Ratacherra (dispute is in 11.2 sq km. Recommendation is Assam will get 4.78 sq km, Meghalaya 6.42 sq km)
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