STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: Assam and Arunachal Pradesh will sign a draft agreement on border issues within a week, if everything goes as planned. The chief ministers of the two states will sign the agreement in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had a meeting with the 12 regional committees of Assam yesterday and gave final shapes to the draft reports prepared by the regional committees.
The reports have been sent to the Arunachal Pradesh government for perusal. If the Arunachal Pradesh Government agrees to the reports we have sent to them, we will sign the draft agreement within a week. However, we cannot say that the agreement will be the final solution, as there is the Supreme Court and the Parliament,” said Border Area Protection and Development Minister Atul Bora.
Even after the signing of an agreement by the Assam and Arunachal Pradesh governments, the Parliament will have to approve it as there is the question of redemarcation of the inter-state boundary.
This apart, as a case in this regard has been pending in the Supreme Court since 1987, the endorsement of the out-of-court settlement by the apex court is a must.
Besides the chairmen of the regional committees, the deputy commissioners of the districts sharing a border with Arunachal Pradesh were also present at the meeting yesterday.
Originally, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh had 123 disputed villages between them. However, the Namsai meeting between the two chief ministers on July 15, 2022, settled the disputes over 37 villages. The proposed agreement will involve only 86 villages. Sources, however, said that the agreement may not include a few villages due to technical reasons.
Atul Bora said, “It is the goodwill and visionary leadership of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma that Assam and Arunachal Pradesh are heading for permanent solutions to the border issues in such a short time. We are sure that the people living on both sides of the border will soon achieve a new environment and sustainable peace.”
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