Guwahati: Assam and Arunachal Pradesh on Thursday held another round of chief ministerial-level talks on the inter-state border to review the progress made by the regional committees that were constituted by the two states.
Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that the high-level meeting with his Arunachal Pradesh counterpart Pema Khandu was a follow-up to the Namsai Declaration signed by the two neighbouring states in July this year.
“As a follow-up of the Namsai Declaration, held a meeting with Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Pema Khandu and a high-level delegation led by him. Deliberated on the progress achieved by ‘regional committees’ jointly headed by the ministers of the two states, among other issues,” Sarma informed through his official Twitter handle.
“I am certain that the two states would soon reach an agreement that would take care of sensitivities and aspirations of all,” he said.
Cabinet ministers, including Assam border protection and development minister Atul Bora, Assam chief secretary Paban Kumar Borthakur, Arunachal Pradesh chief secretary Dharmendra and senior officers were present in the meeting held at the Assam State Guest House in Koinadhora here on Thursday afternoon.
It may be mentioned that regional committees from both states had initiated the process of visits to the “points of differences” along the interstate boundary on August 22, subsequent to the Namsai Declaration.
Under the Namsai Declaration, both states have agreed to constitute 12 regional committees, each covering the 12 districts of Arunachal Pradesh and the counterpart districts of Assam for joint verification of villages and thereafter make recommendations to the respective state governments.
During the third round of chief minister-level inter-state boundary talks at Namsai in mid-July this year, the two states had mutually agreed in principle that issues in 37 of the 123 “disputed” villages were more or less resolved.”
“The chief ministers’ level meeting on the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border issues at Koinadhora will be a watershed moment in our collective resolve to address outstanding issues amicably,” Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Pema Khandu reacted to the meeting here on Thursday.
Commenting on the border talks, Assam border protection and development minister Atul Bora said that the “age-old bond of brotherhood between the two states is getting stronger due to political goodwill of Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and keenness of Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Pema Khandu.”
“The states are in the final stages to amicably resolve the long-standing border issue,” Bora said.
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