Ball is in Centre’s court, says Assam CM on resolution of border dispute with Meghalaya
India Today
On Sunday, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma said the Centre is yet to take a final call on the recommendations forwarded by Assam and Meghalaya to resolve a part of their long-standing border dispute.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday said the ball was in the Centre’s court to take a final call on the recommendations forwarded by Assam and Meghalaya to resolve a part of the long-standing boundary disputes between the two neighbouring states.
He however hit out at the Congress for opposing the proposed ‘give-and-take’ formula for solving the border row and maintained that it was the grand old party of the country that had led to entire states being carved out of undivided Assam.
He also alleged that the Congress, which had been in power in the Centre as well as North Eastern states for most of independent India's history, had refrained from solving the boundary disputes so that neighbouring states are forever engaged in conflict with each other.
Addressing a press conference here, Sarma said, “The ball is now in the Centre’s court. We have submitted our recommendations to Union Home Minister Amit Shah.”
“It is up to them when they call us for further discussions,” he added.
Sarma and his Meghalaya counterpart Conrad Sangma had on January 20 placed recommendations of three regional committees formed by the two states to look into disputes in six areas before Shah in New Delhi.
According to the final set of recommendations given by the committees, out of 36.79 sq km of disputed area taken up for settlement in the first phase, Assam will get control on 18.51 sq km and Meghalaya the remaining 18.28 sq km.
