Shillong, Sept 30: Assam and Meghalaya are on the verge of finalising the border pillars and the official demarcation line between the two states. Both the state governments have put December 31, 2023 as the deadline to complete this exercise of officially defining an agreed boundary between the states.

Assam and Meghalaya had signed a boundary settlement pact in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi on March 29, 2022 to resolve the 50-year-old boundary dispute in 6 of 12 areas of difference shared between the two states.

“We had different members of the different regional committees and senior officials from the state as well as the district levels today in this meeting and large number of decisions were taken today,” Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said after an official meeting with Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma in Guwahati on Saturday.

“We are happy to inform the people of both Assam and Meghalaya that after a very long drawn exercise, we are now on the verge of also finalizing the actual pillars and the forest and the actual boundary lines in the first six areas of differences which we have signed the MOU in the presence of honourable Union Minister of Government of India,” he informed.

He said the meeting has given green signal for the Hahim Sector where the survey has been conducted along with the Assam and Meghalaya boundary and the line finalized.

“And similarly, we have given instructions and decided today that the rest of the five areas of differences again, although which three of them are very close to completion, but we have instructed them the decision that by 31st of December, all these six areas where the MOU had been signed in the first phase, the actual line and demarcation by the Survey of India along with the officials of states should be completed,” he further said.

The six areas of differences resolved in the 1st phase of talks included Tarabari (4.69 sq km), Gizang (13.53 sq km), Hahim (3.51 sq km), Boklapara (1.57 sq kms), Khanapara-Pilangkata (2.29 sq kms) and Ratacherra (11.20 sq kms). The total area is 36.79 sq kms.

Discussion on areas under Phase 2 

CM Sangma also informed that detailed discussions were held on the remaining 6 areas of differences, that are under Phase 2 of border talks.

He said considerable progress has been made in 3 areas and the respective Regional Committees of both Assam and Meghalaya have been instructed to arrive at their conclusions at the earliest.

“In the other areas of differences, we are happy to inform that (in) three of the areas we are moving very fast and we would like to resolve these issues. We are moving very aggressively, and we have taken a decision that both the regional committees (of Assam and Meghalaya respectively) should try and come to a conclusion at the earliest,” CM Sangma said.