Dispur forms three panels to examine status of inter-State boundary areas with Meghalaya

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The Government of Assam has constituted three five-member regional committees to examine the present status of the inter-State boundary areas with Meghalaya. This is a development following the two rounds of parleys between the Chief Ministers of Assam and Meghalaya – Himanta Biswa Sarma and Conrad Sangma respectively on the inter-State boundary disputes between the two neighbouring northeastern States recently.

After the approval of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, the 'Border Protection & Development Department' issued a notification signed by Assam Chief Secretary Jishnu Barua. Mentionably, a similar regional panel has been also formed by the Government of Meghalaya.

These committees will submit their reports to the Government of Assam within a period of 30 days based on the inspection of the villages and also on agreed yardsticks of historical perspective, ethnicity of the local population, administrative convenience of local people, contiguity with the boundary and the perception of the people living in the area.

The Assam government notification specifies that the State Regional Committees will visit the six disputed areas on the Assam-Meghalaya boundary. These areas are Tarabari, Gizang, Hahim, and Boklapara in Kamrup District. The other two areas are Khanapara-Pilingkata area in Kamrup (Metro), and Ratacherra in Cachar District.

The chairmen of the three Regional Committees of the Government of Assam are as follows:

Minister Atul Bora will be the Chairman of the panel looking after the inter-State boundary issues related to West Khasi Hills. Significantly, a member of this five-member panel is the Assam Commissioner and Secretary of Border Protection & Development Department, G.D. Tripathi.

Similarly, the inter-State boundary issues along the East Jaintia Hills will be dealt with by Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary. Pijush Hazarika will be in charge of the committee that will look after the disputes in the Ri-Bhoi District

On the other hand, delegations of both the Assam and Meghalaya government visited two such disputed spots along the Assam-West Khasi Hills boundary on Monday. The Assam team was lewd by Minister Atul Bora.

TERMS & REFERENCES: The three panels of the Government of Assam "will coordinate with the relevant Regional Committee set up by Government of Meghalaya".

They will "cross-reference and verify the names of the villages (sub-villages) claimed by Meghalaya with the names of villages as per the records of Government of Assam; establish the geographical location of the villages and their contiguity; examine the status of the village population according to the Census records and ethnicity; prepare an 'As-Is' 'Public Asset Register' in the villages, created by both the State Governments.

Moreover, the panel members will "visit each of the villages, and interact with the communities living in the villages including the elected representatives of the Autonomous districts councils to learn about the perception of the people living in the area.

The panels will further "document the factual information regarding the physical and time-wise distances from the villages to the nearest public-service delivery point or administrative unit.

"The committees can co-opt any member including from the Forest department, whenever necessary.

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