Survey of India surveying Assam-Meghalaya boundary

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The Survey of India has started the survey of the inter-state boundary between Assam and Meghalaya based on the agreement signed by the chief ministers of the two states to resolve the inter-state boundary disputes.

Assam and Meghalaya have disputes over 12 stretches along the inter-state boundary. In six of the 12 disputed stretches, the two states reached a consensus that led to the signing of an agreement between Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and his Meghalaya counterpart Conrad K Sangma in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah on March 29, 2022.

According to sources in the Assam Border Protection and Development Department, the Survey of India is conducting the survey based on the constitutional boundary between the two states since the creation of Meghalaya and the agreement signed by the chief ministers of the two states. Sources in the department further said that the Survey of India started its survey from Ratacherra and Tarabari. The six disputed stretches taken up for resolution in the first phase are Ratacherra, Tarabari, Gizang, Hahim, Boklapara and Pilingkata. The six disputed spots comprise 36.79 sq km of land. According to the agreement signed, Assam will get 18.51 sq km, and Meghalaya will get 18.28 sq km.

After completion of the survey, the Survey of India will send the report to the two-state governments seeking their opinions. If the two states agree on Survey of India's report, the respective state assemblies will have to pass resolutions to resolve the boundary disputes. Based on the assembly resolutions of the two states, the Central government will introduce a bill in the Parliament for an amendment to the constitutional boundary between the two states.

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