30 of 36 villages along border with Assam to remain in Meghalaya: CM Sangma | Latest News India - Hindustan Times
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30 of 36 villages along border with Assam to remain in Meghalaya: CM Sangma

ByDavid Laitphlang, Hindustan Times, Shillong
Mar 08, 2022 06:32 AM IST

The chief minister also said that he will take the matter forward with Union home minister Amit Shah during his visit to New Delhi on March 9.

Thirty of the 36 disputed villages along the border with Assam will be retained by Meghalaya as recommended by regional committees of the two states, Meghalaya chief minister Conrad K Sangma told the state assembly on Monday.

Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma with Meghalaya chief minister Conrad K Sangma. (ANI)
Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma with Meghalaya chief minister Conrad K Sangma. (ANI)

The chief minister also said that he will take the matter forward with Union home minister Amit Shah during his visit to New Delhi on March 9.

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“I am very hopeful that we will be able to announce some positive statements based on the memorandum of understanding (MoU) that have been signed between the two states… that we should be able to come to a conclusion (on the six areas of difference),” Sangma said, while addressing the House on the status of talks with the Assam government to resolve the boundary differences.

On January 19, the Assam and Meghalaya cabinets had approved a ‘give-and-take’ formula to resolve the five-decades old border dispute between the two northeastern states. Both sides resolved to solve the row over 12 disputed areas in a phased manner.

The six areas that were taken up for final settlement in the first phase are Hahim, Gizang, Tarabari, Boklapara, Khanapara-Pilingkata and Ratacherra. The other six areas, where the disputes are more complicated, will be taken up later.

Both states have affirmed that no new areas of differences shall be added to the already identified 12 areas, Sangma told the House.

“A rough area of 36.79 sq kms in these six areas are under differences and after detailed discussion, surveys and visits made by the regional committees, approximately 18 sq kms plus minus will come to Meghalaya and 18 sq km plus minus will go to Assam,” he said.

“Of the 36 villages claimed by Meghalaya in 2011, a total of 30 will remain in Meghalaya as recommended by regional committees of the two states. Ownership of land, however, will not be affected after demarcation of the boundary,” he said.

“All eight villages claimed by Meghalaya in Tarabari area will remain in the state. In Gizang of West Khasi Hills district, two of three claimed villages will remain under our administrative control,” he added.

In Hahim area, Meghalaya will get 11 of 12 claimed villages. In Ri Bhoi, one out of two villages in Boklapara, five out of six villages in Khanapara-Pilangkata and three out of five villages in Malidor, Ratacherra and Umpyrdet in East Jaintia Hills will remain with the state. The Assamese-inhabited areas of Khanapara, including Dreamland Resort, will go to Assam, Sangma said.

In Maikuli area, while Mawmari Beel will remain in Assam, the graveyard and the remaining areas, including the entire Brahmaputra Realtors, will be in Meghalaya, the chief minister said.

Meghalaya was carved out of Assam in 1972 and both states share a 733-km boundary. Over the years, the two neighbouring states have witnessed several skirmishes between various communities inhabiting the border areas.

The chief minister said that discussions, visits and surveys to solve the long-pending dispute were conducted by the three regional committees which were formed last year by the two states and headed by cabinet ministers from both sides. Special technologies were used for the exercise, he said.

The areas will be more accurately determined by the Survey of India in the presence of representatives of both states, Sangma underscored, while maintaining that the ownership of the land will not be affected by the decisions.

“We realized that we cannot sit down and base our decision only on the basis of the documents from Assam or Meghalaya… We have tried to look at people’s will and ethnicity while also considering past documents…,” he said.

Sangma thanked Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for his support in the matter. “Without his (Sarma’s) will and without the will of the government of Meghalaya, this would not have been possible. I thank the chief minister of Assam for the entire push that he has been given from his end,” he said.

HT tried to reach out to Assam border affairs minister Atul Bora and Assam chief secretary Jishnu Barua for a comment but could not get one immediately.

Besides Meghalaya, Assam is also facing border disputes with Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland. Separate suits are pending in the Supreme Court for a resolution to the row with Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland.

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