Shillong, October 6: Meghalaya cabinet minister Sosthenes Sohtun has asserted the need to expedite the second phase of border talks with Assam. Sohtun, who is part of the regional committee, said today that discussions are underway to speed up the process, which will help clear doubts among border residents and facilitate peaceful living.
“We are in the second phase of border talks. We had a discussion with the chairman of the regional committee about whether we can speed up the second phase so that it will clear the doubts of every citizen who is residing on the border. People residing in the borders want to live in peace so that there is no disturbance from any side,” he said.
The border dispute between Meghalaya and Assam has been ongoing for decades, with 12 areas of difference. In March 2022, the two states signed a Memorandum of Understanding resolving six of the 12 disputed areas. The second phase of talks aims to resolve the remaining six areas, including Langpih, Borduar, Deshdoomreah, Block I-II, Psiar-Khanduli, and Nongwah-Mawtamur.
In June, Chief Ministers Conrad K Sangma and Himanta Biswa Sarma held talks to discuss the border issue, among other matters.
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They agreed to jointly commission a multi-purpose irrigation and hydroelectric power project and entrusted the North Eastern Space Application Centre to conduct a detailed study on urban flooding in Guwahati. The two states have also begun installing boundary pillars in the Hahim area to resolve the border dispute.
(Newmai News Network)