Meghalaya-Assam exchanging reports on boundary issue, CM border level talk soon

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJanuary 3, 2022

Assam and Meghalaya on Monday exchanged reports submitted by their respective regional committees.

Addressing media persons, Sangma informed that a detailed meeting was held with the Deputy Chief Minister of Meghalaya Prestone Tynsong and P Hazarika, who is the minister and chairman of the regional committee from Assam. 

“We had a detailed discussion and presentation and exchange of the reports that were made by both the regional committees and now Assam government has the report made by the Meghalaya government and vice-versa. We have gone through it. Again detailed discussion was also held and I must say it was a very positive discussion,” he said. 

Refusing to share more details on the reports, Sangma however said, “Because we will be meeting at the chief ministers’ level again and that is when we will be coming up with the final outcome and final decision which I hope will be within the next few weeks, we will be able to meet and finalize on the reports and take final decision at least for the first phase.”

He further informed that the regional committees of Kamrup district and West Khasi Hills will again be meeting in Guwahati on Tuesday.

The PHE Minister Renikton Tongkhar will be going to Guwahati to meet up with his counterpart Atul Bora and they will be taking the discussion forward for that sector also. 

“We are hopeful that things will be moving in a positive direction,” he said. 

Asked as to when the regional committee for East Jaintia Hills will be submitting its report, the chief minister said that they are yet to submit the report to him citing due to the gap because of the festive week.

“But we should be getting the report very soon but unofficially without the report being submitted also, we have discussed most of the areas and the details in the report has been shared with us and informed to us both by Assam and Meghalaya committees, so we already know what is there in the report but the physical copy of the report has not been given to us yet,” he said.

The chief minister further maintained that the both the state governments are committed to finding an amicable solution to end the long pending boundary dispute between the two states. 

He however said that one cannot give a date as to when it can be resolved.

“What is most important to note is that may be this is the first time that so much of work and exercise has gone into an issue like this. As I said the ministers and regional committees have visited each and every village themselves, spoken to the people, spend hours and hours travelling, this has never happened before. What I am trying to say is that we are very committed to finding a solution to this. Both the governments are very committed to it. Putting a timeframe to it is something that obviously it pushes us to ensure that we don’t take it easy,” he said.

“…we cannot simply rush things and complete a task just because we have set ourselved a date. We try to finish things before christmas, we realise that some areas we are working out some areas we needed to talk more so we waited and we discuss today and we are discussion tomorrow again and may be in a few days time, the East Jaintia Hills committee will meet and the chief ministers will meet. So it is a continuous process but I am very hopeful that we are moving towards some sort of a solution atleast in the first phase of the six areas that we have,” he further added.

Earlier, Deputy Chief Minister had informed that the two states will try to resolve the first phase of six areas of difference within January 15.