Our goal is to resolve border disputes this year: Minister Atul Bora

 STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The Government of Assam is aiming to resolve the majority of border disputes with neighbouring states in 2023.

Assam's Border Protection and Development Minister Atul Bora told The Sentinel on Friday that the ongoing border dispute-related talks with the government of Arunachal Pradesh have made considerable progress, including two rounds of Chief Ministers' level discussions. Bora added that the issue is likely to be finally resolved during an ensuing third Chief Ministers' level meeting, which will follow a couple of regional committee level field visits and discussions.

Mentioning that the Lohit and Namsai districts of Arunachal Pradesh share borders with the Tinsukia district of Assam, Bora said that the dispute regarding villages in these areas has been almost resolved, as a consensus has been reached by the two sides.

The Border Protection and Development Minister further said that his Cabinet colleagues Keshab Mahanta and Jayanta Mallabaruah are overseeing negotiations from Assam's side regarding the border dispute pertaining to areas in Dhemaji, Lakhimpur and Biswanath. He added that the border dispute pertaining to the Charaideo district of the state is being overseen by Cabinet Minister Bimal Bora.

Atul Bora said that once a final consensus is reached at the Chief Ministers' level, discussions will be held with the Central government. The aim is to settle the border dispute with Arunachal Pradesh in line with the settlement arrived at with the government of Meghalaya with regard to six disputed areas. Assam and Arunachal Pradesh share a 804.10 km-long border and an original suit (No 1/1989) is still pending at the trial stage in the Supreme Court in connection with the border dispute between the two states. The original dispute pertained to 123 villages, out of which the dispute relating to 37 villages was resolved during the Chief Ministers' level talks at Namsai last year. The respective regional committees of the two states are working to resolve the dispute regarding the remaining 86 villages.

It may be mentioned that Assam had 12 areas of border dispute with Meghalaya before the settlement was reached.

Regarding Meghalaya, Bora said that each state constituted three regional committees each to resolve the dispute over the six remaining areas. However, the regional committees' work was hampered for a while recently due to legal hurdles, he said. The recent interim order issued by the Supreme Court in this regard is being studied and the regional committees will resume their work if no legal barrier is found, he added.

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