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Meghalaya party seeks settlement of border row with Assam

By Newmai News

SHILLONG, Dec 3 - The president of the Hill State People�s Democratic Party (HSPDP), KP Pangniang, today met Chief Minister Conrad Sangma and discussed the long-standing inter-State boundary dispute between Meghalaya and Assam.

Pangniang said that despite successive State governments taking all possible steps to resolve the boundary dispute between the two States through a dialogue process, no solution has been found till date.

�Even after a series of meetings at the Chief Ministerial level, Chief Secretary level and district administration level for the last 47 years, there has been no sign of a solution to this issue,� the HSPDP chief rued, adding that the border row was causing immense hardships, economic dislocation and breakdown of law and order.

�On behalf of the party and in the general interest of the people, we strongly urge the Government to immediately reopen the unfinished agenda/task and also find a logical solution to this long-pending, unsettled inter-State boundary dispute and the same may be treated as a top priority to achieve before the 50 years of Meghalaya Statehood,� Pangniang said.

Stating that the Centre has advised both the State governments to settle the dispute mutually and amicably, and that the Union Home Minister recently announced that the inter-State border issues in the North East would be settled within two years, the HSPDP president said, �In the light of such a direction, we would like to suggest reconstitution of the consultative committee on the boundary issue.�

�We also suggest that stakeholders like the KHADC, JHADC, GHADC, chiefs of the Elaka/Hima who have territorial jurisdiction in the disputed area and prominent social organisations may be included as members of the committee,� he added.

Pangniang stated that the Chief Minister had promised to take up the matter seriously.

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