Boundary talks should be based on 12 areas of difference: Mukul Sangma

A CORRESPONDENT

SHILLONG: Leader of Opposition Dr Mukul Sangma has said that the Meghalaya-Assam boundary talks should be based on the documentation prepared by the government on the 12 areas of difference which substantiates the claims that these places belong to the State.

"These compilations enabled us to substantiate and justify our claims along with the areas of differences," Dr Sangma said.

According to the leader of Opposition, during the last Chief Minister-level meeting between Conrad Sangma and Himanta Biswa Sarma, the latter had said that Assam has their interpretation and stand over Meghalaya's claim.

"This means that they will try to deviate from the stand of Meghalaya," he said. According to him, the fact remains that the documentation prepared by Meghalaya should form the basis of all discussions with Assam.

Dr Sangma also said that any resolution of the boundary dispute should be acceptable to the people of the State.

The Opposition leader also alleged that the present State government is not implementing the Inter-State Border Area Development Programme. "The present government is bankrupt in understanding the problem of villagers living along the boundary with Assam," he said. Dr Mukul Sangma said that the Meghalaya government has abandoned the boundary villagers and schemes under Inter-State Border Area Development Programme initiated by the previous Congress-led government have diverted somewhere else.

The leader of the Opposition said that this is a reflection of the government's insensitivity to the plight of the common man.

The second round of the Chief Minister's level meeting between Meghalaya and Assam will be held on August 6 in Guwahati. The first round of talks was held on July 23 at Shillong where it was decided that both States will go beyond the usual rhetoric of 'status quo' that is associated with such talks previously.

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