Itanagar: In keeping with the spirit of ‘Namsai Declaration’ towards resolving the vexed boundary matter between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh through mutual dialogues, the Regional Committees, formed by both the State Governments, on Friday held joint meetings at Kanubari in Longding and Bhalukpong in West Kameng district and visited the ‘disputed’ areas to take stock of the ‘ground realities’, official sources said.
An official from West Kameng district administration said, first meeting of Regional Committee (Udalguri and Sonitpur districts of Assam) and Regional Committee (West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh) on Assam-Arunachal Boundary Issue was held at Circuit House, Bhalukpong.
The meeting was co-chaired by Assam Housing & Urban Affairs and Irrigation Minister Ashok Singhal and Arunachal Pradesh Tourism, Land Management, Civil Aviation and Transport Minister Nakap Nalo and attended by MLAs Padma Hazarika (Sootea), Krishna Kamal Tanti (Rangapara), Kumsi Sidisow (Thrizino-Buragaon) and Dorjee Wangdi Kharma (Kalaktang). The Deputy Commissioners of Sonitpur and West Kameng – Dev Kumar Mishra and Karma Leki, respectively, were also present among others.
The Regional Committees of both states also visited Kamengbari and Bhalukpong to take stock of the ground realities. During the meeting, most of the issues were settled amicably. It was decided that DCs of West Kameng and Sonitpur shall conduct a joint survey of Kamengbari area and submit a report to the Committees, he added.
Meanwhile, an official release from Longding said, a joint meeting of the Regional Committees of Arunachal’s Longding and Assam’s Charaideo district to discuss the inter-state border dispute was convened today at ADC Office, Kanubari.
Assam Industries & Commerce and Public Enterprises, and Cultural Affairs Minister Bimal Borah, Arunachal Pradesh RWD and Science & Technology Minister Honchun Ngandam, MLAs Dharmeshwar Konwar (of Assam’s Sonari), Tanpho Wangnaw (Longding-Pumao) and Gabriel D Wangsu (Kanubari), Longding DC Bani Lego, Charaideo DC Paul Barua and Guardian Secretary Anant Lal Gyani, besides other top officials attended the meeting and undertook the field visits.
After a power-point presentation by DC Longding and a brief discussion by the house, the members of the Regional Committees did a ground inspection of three disputed places at Hasse Russa, Kamkuh Russa and Tanglam Russa. “Both the parties resolved to solve the issue of border dispute in line with the Namsai Declaration,” it said.
Aimed at resolving the decades-old boundary dispute between the two neighbouring states, the Namsai Declaration was signed by the Chief Ministers of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, Pema Khandu and Himanta Biswa Sarma, respectively, on July 15 last.
