Boundary row: Megh and Assam officials to meet tomorrow

Shillong, Nov 19 (UNI) Top government officials of Assam and Meghalaya will meet tomorrow to prepare the ground work for permanent solutions on the vexed inter-state boundary disputes between the two neighbouring states.

Meghalaya Chief Secretary Ranjan Chatterjee and his Assam counterpart P C Sharma would lead their respective delegations for the second round to discuss the long-pending disputes.

''We will examine the points raised in the last official-level discussions in Guwahati between the two Chief Secretaries and the minutes of the meeting of Chief Ministers of the two states held on June 12,'' Mr Chatterjee told UNI here today.

Both Assam and Meghalaya have entrusted the coordination committee, comprising Chief Secretaries and Revenue Secretaries of both states, apart from Deputy Commissioners of Kamrup district, West Khasi Hills and Ri-Bhoi districts, to assist in resolving the disputes amicably.

The committee will examine the disputes and submit its report to both the Governments within six months.

''We are committed to finding an amicable solution to the border dispute,'' Mr Chatterjee said.

Meghalaya Deputy Chief Minister in-charge of Home H S Lyngdoh recently told the state Assembly that the inter-state boundary dispute would be settled within a span of six months.

He said Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi had agreed to solve the long-pending issue.

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