Shillong: The regional committees of Assam and Meghalaya on Monday decided to visit the contentious Langpih area after the assembly session in September.
West Khasi Hills regional committee led by Meghalaya Tourism Minister Paul Lyngdoh engaged in deliberations with Assam Forest and Environment Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary, who also chairs the regional committee of Kamrup district, at Hotel Pine Wood here.
During the discussions, both the committees narrowed down the areas of conflict or areas where both states have claims and counter claims in the Langpih sector.
“We have narrowed down the number of such areas and to go to the specifics or to go to the exact villages or names of villages, the two Deputy Commissioners as well as the local MDCs (Members of District Council) has been entrusted with the task of preparing a list,” Lyngdoh said.
“We will try to cater to four or five villages and choose a central point as the meeting point so that we can go for a few of these site visits in the month of September,” Lyngdoh said.
Expressing optimism that the dispute in West Khasi Hills area will be solved within a very short time, Patowary said, “We had a very cordial discussion today and we have narrowed down the gap, previously it was a huge gap, now it is narrowed down.”
On the contentious Langpih area, Patowary said, “It will be resolved, don’t worry about this as there is not an issue which cannot be solved through discussion. After discussion, every problem is solved. So I don’t think it will be a problem for us to solve. We have started the discussion and we hope we will resolve it.”
In the first phase, six areas were chosen and a MoU was signed to put at rest the differences in these areas. The six areas were Tarabari, Gizang, Hahim, Boklapara, Khanapara-Pillangkata and Ratacherra.
Both states adopted a give and take policy under which Meghalaya took control of 18.28 square km and Assam 18.51 km out of the total disputed area of 36.79 square km in these six areas.
Currently survey work is being undertaken by the Survey of India and after which the boundary would be demarcated through a constitutional amendment.
The second phase of the talks includes complex areas such as Block I, Psiar-Khanduli in West Jaintia Hills district. Block II, Borduar, Nongwah-Mawtamur and Deshdoomreah in Ri-Bhoi district and Langpih in West Khasi Hills district.
