Assam-Meghalaya agrees for settlement of six disputed Regions

The Union Minister of State and Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai asserted in Lok Sabha on March 23 that the northeastern states of Assam and Meghalaya had agreed to a permanent settlement of the inter-state border dispute along six areas of contention.

This follows Assam BJP Rajya Sabha MP Bhubaneswar Kalita's question about if the central government held high-level talks with the state governments of Assam and Meghalaya to resolve the long-standing border dispute between the two states.

According to Rai, discussions are underway at several levels to find a peaceful solution to the border dispute.

In response to a question, Rai said, "As a result of these conversations, the chief ministers of Assam and Meghalaya have agreed to a permanent settlement of the inter-state boundary in six of the total 12 areas of contention between the states of Assam and Meghalaya."

The Minister of State and home affairs, Rai further went on to say that the central government's strategy has always been to address inter-state border disputes with the help of state governments.

He stated that the central government acts as a facilitator for a peaceful resolution to the conflict via mutual cooperation and understanding.

It is worth mentioning that the governments of Assam and Meghalaya constituted three regional committees each to resolve the border conflicts, each led by Cabinet ministers and officials from the two northeastern states. These committees were told to concentrate on five factors: historical facts, ethnicity, administrative convenience, land proximity, willingness, and public sentiment.