Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday (March 28, 2025) said his government was keen on resolving the State’s boundary dispute with Meghalaya.
The two States signed an agreement in March 2022 in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah to settle the dispute in six of the 12 sectors along their 855 km boundary. Resolving the row in the six other “more critical” sectors was kept on hold.
“We can resolve the problem in three of these six areas at any point in time. I think Meghalaya wants the problem to be resolved in all six areas together,” the Chief Minister told journalists after attending a passing-out parade of 70 Deputy Superintendents of Police from Assam and Mizoram at the North Eastern Police Academy near Meghalaya’s capital, Shillong.
He said setting a time frame for resolving the issue could be counter-productive, as it involves the sentiments of people from both the States. He also said Assam would keep working with its neighbouring States to resolve all boundary disputes.
“The Survey of India is doing the demarcation (of boundary) and it is proceeding well, but whatever we have signed in the presence of the Home Minister is binding on both governments,” Mr Sarma said without elaborating.
He said keeping the Centre out of the dispute between the two States in the region may not work. “The idea is Assam and Nagaland, and Assam and Meghalaya can work together under the supervision of the government of India,” he added.
Apart from Meghalaya, Assam has had border disputes with Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and Nagaland. More than 150 people have died in these disputes since the 1960s.
