In a bid to discuss the long-pending border dispute between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, ministers and top officials of both states attended a meeting at the Assam Administrative Staff College in Guwahati on Saturday evening.
According to sources, the meeting deliberated on finding a final solution to the vexed border dispute between the two states.
The meeting was jointly presided over by Assam cabinet ministers Ranoj Pegu and Jayanta Malla Baruah and Arunachal Pradesh minister Tumke Bagra along with MLAs of the state. Other senior officers were also present in the meeting.
"Attended the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh Border Regional Committee Meeting held today at Assam Administrative Staff College. We deliberated on finding a permanent solution to the border dispute between the two states," Assam Education Minister Ranoj Pegu tweeted.
Meanwhile, Jayanta Malla Baruah tweeted, "Held a 5 hour long Regional Committee Meeting to deliberate upon the Assam Arunachal Pradesh Border issue at Assam Administrative Staff College this evening. Under the leadership of HHM Shri @AmitShah ji, we are hopeful to find out a proper solution very soon on amicable terms."
The two states have been engaging in discussions to resolve the border disputes with Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and his Arunachal counterpart Pema Khandu signing the Namsai Declaration on July 15 last year, wherein they had pledged to find solutions soon.
In January this year, an important meeting of the regional committees of the two states was held in Guwahati. As an outcome of the meeting, the regional committees finalized the report to be sent to the Centre. Discussions were made on 57 disputed villages in the bordering areas.
The two states that share an 804.1 km-long border had decided to restrict the 'disputed villages' to 86 instead of the previous 123.
The grievance of Arunachal Pradesh, which was made a union territory in 1972, is that several forested tracts in the plains that had traditionally belonged to hill tribal chiefs and communities were unilaterally transferred to Assam.
