Meghalaya CM to meet Asom CM on boundary dispute

Shillong, Apr 13: Meghalaya Chief Minister D D Lapang would soon meet his Asom counterpart Tarun Gogoi to discuss the inter-state boundary dispute.

Mr Lapang said he had convinced Chief Ministers of Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Mizoram to request the Centre to intervene to solve the boundary disputes with Asom.

''We want the Centre to intervene into this vexed border dispute with Asom once for all as we don't want to create bad blood with our neighbours,'' the Chief Mnister told reporters here yesterday.

Mr Lapang said Meghalaya has 12 areas of difference with Asom.

He regretted that even after chief ministers of both states had discussed the boundary disputes on many occasions and constituted a committee of the two state chief secretaries to sort out the difference the stalemate continued.

He, however, said the committee had instructed all concerned deputy commissioners to get the views of local inhabitants and village headmen so that an amicable solution could be reached.

On re-transfer of Blocks I and II from Karbi Anglong district of Asom, Mr Lapang said the government was in favour of re-transfer of these two block areas to Meghalaya.

''The Blocks I and II are tagged to Asom for administrative convenience and these areas can be transferred to Meghalaya,'' he said.

UNI