Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday said Assam and Meghalaya will soon resume discussions to resolve their long-pending interstate boundary dispute, asserting that there is no friction between the two neighbouring states.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the concluding day of the Behdienkhlam Festival in Jowai, Sarma said both governments continue to maintain cordial relations and are committed to resolving the issue through dialogue.
“There is no friction between us. We are talking amicably and we will soon again talk,” the Chief Minister said. However, he did not specify a timeline for the next round of discussions.
The statement comes as both states prepare to restart the second phase of negotiations over the remaining six disputed sectors along the 884.9-km Assam-Meghalaya border.
Earlier, Meghalaya Deputy Chief Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar, who heads the state’s Regional Committee for West Jaintia Hills, had said that the next phase of talks would begin shortly after the Assam Assembly elections. He noted that Meghalaya is awaiting a date from the Assam government for joint inspections and meetings before regional committees resume field visits.
In March 2022, Assam and Meghalaya signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, resolving disputes in six of the twelve contested border sectors. The agreement covered Tarabari, Gizang, Hahim, Boklapara, Khanapara-Pilangkata and Ratacherra, while the remaining six sectors were left for the second phase due to their greater complexity.
Meanwhile, Assam’s Border Protection and Development Minister Atul Bora informed the Assam Legislative Assembly on Wednesday that, according to the latest official assessment, Meghalaya currently occupies 3,441.86 hectares of land claimed by Assam across five districts—Kamrup, Goalpara, Cachar, South Salmara-Mankachar and West Karbi Anglong.
