Public opinion, insurgency issues considered during talks on border row with Assam: Meghalaya CM

New Delhi [India], March 29 (ANI): Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on Tuesday said several issues including insurgency in the area have been taken into consideration while coming to an agreement with Assam to resolve the border dispute.
"Political issues including insurgency and other issues related to North-East have been given due importance (while coming to an agreement with Assam over border dispute areas)," said Sangma.
Sangma said that even the opinion of the general public was taken into consideration before coming to an agreement with Assam.
"Earlier we only used to focus on historical facts and maps but this time even the opinion of the public has been taken into consideration. We asked the people in the area what they want and then on their feedback we went ahead with the talks," he said.
The CM further informed that the final demarcation of borders will be done after a survey is conducted in the area by the central authority Survey of India.
"Out of 12 areas of difference, we have come to an agreement with Assam on six areas. Further, a survey will be done by Survey of India with both states' involvement, and when that's done, actual demarcation will take place," said Sangma.
Assam and Meghalaya governments on Tuesday signed a historic agreement here in the national capital to resolve their 50-year-old pending boundary differences.
The agreement was signed by the Chief Ministers of Assam and Meghalaya in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah at the office of the Ministry of Home Affairs.
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)