Shillong, March 29 (IANS): The stalled talks between Meghalaya and Assam over the inter-state border disputes will resume next month-end or in the first week of May, officials said here on Wednesday.The talks suffered a setback since the firing incident of November 22 last year, which left six persons, including 5 Meghalaya villagers, dead. Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma is in regular touch with his Assam counterpart Himanta Biswa Sarma to expedite the border talks and resolve the disputes at the earliest.
The six areas of Meghalaya to be taken up for discussion in the second phase of talks include Langpih in West Khasi Hills, Borduar, Nongwah-Mawtamur, Desh Doomreah and Block-II in Ri-Bhoi district and Block-I and Psiar-Khanduli in West Jaintia Hills district. Last week, the Meghalaya government had reconstituted three regional committees headed by ministers to examine the present status of the remaining six disputed areas with Assam in the state. Officials said that the committees would submit their reports to the Meghalaya government within 45 days after visiting the border villages and studying the differences based on the 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 Supreme Court had put on hold the Meghalaya High HCs order staying the MoU signed by the Chief Ministers of Assam and Meghalaya on the border disputes.
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