GUWAHATI: Assam and Arunachal Pradesh constituted 12 “regional committees” as a prelude to resolving their long-standing boundary disputes.
The committees will conduct joint visits to the disputed sites covering 123 villages in eight districts of Assam and 12 districts of Arunachal and make their recommendations to the respective governments after taking into consideration historical perspective, administrative convenience, contiguity and people’s will to delineate the interstate boundary.
The Assam government said it was working closely with the Arunachal government for peaceful, holistic and early settlement of the disputes. It said the committees had been constituted to expedite the process.
Minister Atul Bora chaired the “Assam Regional Committee Meet” on Thursday. After a detailed discussion, a decision was taken on the joint visits by the regional committees to the disputed areas.
The committees will submit their reports to the respective chief ministers by September 15, an official statement said.
Earlier this year, Assam and Meghalaya more or less resolved their boundary problem in six of the 12 friction points by adopting the 50:50 template. Half of the disputed areas went to Assam and half to Meghalaya.
Recently, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma had stated the two states would begin a fresh process after August 15 to resolve the problem in the remaining six areas considered complex.
Assam is also trying to settle its bitter border row with Mizoram. Both states held a ministerial-level meeting two days ago in Aizawl. It was decided that chief ministers Himanta Biswa Sarma and Zoramthanga would meet in New Delhi next month to try and work out an amicable solution.
In July last year, six Assam cops had lost their lives during a border skirmish between the police forces of the two states.
Assam also has boundary disputes with Nagaland. Both states are working hard to solve the problem.