CMs of Assam, Meghalaya to meet on May 24 to resolve border dispute in 6 areas

Guwahati (Assam) [India], May 23 (ANI): The Assam and Meghalaya governments will hold Chief Ministerial-level border talks on May 24 in Assam's Guwahati district to amicably resolve the border dispute in the remaining six 'areas of difference'.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday said that both the Chief Ministers of Assam and Meghalaya will meet on May 24 in Guwahati to discuss the settlement of the border dispute in the remaining six areas.
"Discussions will be held to find out a solution for the remaining six areas which are under dispute. After that, I and Meghalaya Chief Minister will propose to visit the area which is presently conflict-stricken. We will visit as a goodwill gesture in those areas", CM Sarma said.
Assam and Meghalaya were having 12 areas that was under dispute along the inter-state border.
Earlier in March last year, both the state governments signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) resolving their border dispute in six of the 12 areas of difference in New Delhi in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Assam and Meghalaya two months after a draft resolution was submitted by the Chief Ministers of both states to Shah on January 31 for examination and consideration by the MHA.
The governments of Assam and Meghalaya had come up with a draft resolution to resolve their border disputes in six of the 12 "areas of difference" along the 884 km boundary.
According to the proposed recommendations for the 36.79 square km of land, Assam will keep 18.51 square km and give the remaining 18.28 square km to Meghalaya.
The long-standing land dispute was sparked in 1972 when Meghalaya was carved out of Assam. The border issues came as a result of different readings of the demarcation of boundaries in the initial agreement for the new state's creation. (ANI)