Assam & Meghalaya Gear Up for October Border Dispute Talks

GUWAHATI: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said the second round of border talks with Assam is likely to start next month.

Addressing reporters here on Wednesday, Mr. Sangma said he had held an informal meeting with Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma during a "friendly dinner" about three to four weeks ago when a decision on the next scheduled meeting for October was taken by both leaders.

Initial rounds of these second-phase discussions, which aim at the resolution of the continuous inter-state boundary dispute between Meghalaya and Assam, have already been held on May 23, 2023.

Six spots constituting the continuous border dispute between Meghalaya and Assam include Langpih, Borduar, Nongwah-Mawtamur, Deshdoomreah, Block-I & Block-II, and Khanduli-Psiar. These have been a bone of contention between the two states for quite some time and hence dialogues to resolve the differences in opinions on those areas have to be continued.

In July, Meghalaya's Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong said that Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma would shortly meet his Assam counterpart Himanta Biswa Sarma in a bid to push the talks on the interstate border dispute.

The proposed meeting is targeted at developing an action plan that will map out a future course of discussions.

Tynsong also mentioned that the inspection of the disputed areas is still ongoing, suggesting that both states are actively working to gather necessary information and insight in preparation for renewed talks.

This process of inspection is important to ensure that both parties enter the negotiation process well-informed and prepared for addressing the complexities of the boundary issues.

This was in furtherance of an earlier joint meeting between the regional committees of Assam and Meghalaya, held on August 26, to find a mutually acceptable solution to the border disputes between the two neighbourly States.

Minister of Environment and Forest and Guardian Minister of Kamrup Chandra Mohan Patowary and his counterpart, Cabinet Minister of Meghalaya and Chairman, Regional Committee for West Khasi Hills Paul Lyngdoh, respectively led both regional committees.

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