KAAC not keen to resolve border row: Meghalaya Govt

Shillong, Jun 21 (UNI) Asserting that both the governments of Meghalaya and Assam were ready to resolve the ''complex'' Assam-Meghalaya border issue for once and for all, Meghalaya Deputy Chief Minister Donkupar Roy today blamed the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council for its ''insincerity'' in resolving the issue.

'' The Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council is not ready to part with the disputed area,'' Dr Roy told reporters here, noting that the Assam government was ready to part the disputed areas- Block I and II to Meghalaya.

Dr Roy maintained that Block I and II presently under the administration of the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council historically belonged to Meghalaya, adding that the two blocks were transferred to Mikir Hills in Assam from United Khasi and Jaintia hills for administrative convenience.

'' Blocks I and II, covering over 15,000 square km, were annexed to Mikir hills from the united Khasi and Jaintia hills in 1951. The boundary row has been raging since then. The Khasi-Pnar and the Karbi population residing in these areas has been at loggerheads on the question of 'identity' and territorial integrity,'' he said.

The Deputy Chief Minister, also in-charge of Revenue department, said the inter-state border row has been taken at the national level for an early solution to the vexed inter-state border problem following the complexity of the issue.

He said all the former Chief Ministers of Assam and Meghalaya had shown their sincerity in resolving the issue, but the ''Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council was not sincere in resolving it.'' Former Chief Minister D D Lapang, who had discussed this ''contentious and intricate'' border row with his Asom counterpart Tarun Gogoi, also urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to resolve the long-standing boundary dispute between Assam and Meghalaya amicably.

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