SHILLONG, March 29 � The Assam Government studying the documents submitted by Meghalaya in support of its claim over 12 areas which has remained disputed between the two neighbour States for decades now.
Chief Minister Mukul Sangma said Meghalaya has recently submitted the documents in support of its claim over 12 areas, which is being studied at the Chief Secretary level of the Assam government. The 12 areas of dispute are Upper Tarabari, Gazang Reserve Forest, Hahim, Langpih, Borduar, Boklapara, Nongwah, Matamur, Khanapara-Pilangkata, Deshdemoreah Block I and Block II, Khanduli and Ratacherra.
�The Assam government has sought time to study the documents over our claim. It would take some time for them to get back to us and only thereafter talks on the boundary issue would move to the next level,� Sangma said.
Sangma added that once examination process is over, he would try to hold talks with Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi. �The documents that we have submitted to Assam in support of our claim are good enough,� he reiterated.
Sangma said that all documents that Meghalaya had under its possession were considered and added that there would be little to build more on it. �Now it is a matter of arriving at a consensus to resolve this long pending boundary dispute between the two States,� Sangma added.
He expressed his optimism on the issue as the Assam government is also �inclined� towards solving this long pending issue. Something positive would evolve out of the present initiatives, he said.
Both the States have formed Chief Secretary level committees to study the decades old boundary dispute and are trying to solve it. The committees have met on several occasions during the past two odd years.
However, Sangma said that the present official bungalow of the Assam Chief Minister does fall under the area of differences. The Assam Government has claimed that the official residence of Gogoi falls well within Assam territory and there is no dispute over it. �It is obvious that they (Assam) would make a claim and we (Meghalaya) would also make ours. It is not about one particular location that we are trying to negotiate about but all the areas of dispute,� he added.
