Govt involves all parties on boundary

SHILLONG, JULY 7: Meghalaya government on Tuesday sought the support and involvement of all political parties to come up with acceptable resolution to the age old inter-state boundary dispute with Assam so that an amicable solution is reachewd at the earliest.
The state government has also decided to place various documentations, which was prepared and submitted to the Assam government before the political parties for strengthening its claims to the twelve areas of difference with Assam.

“This is the first engagement involving all the political parties in respect of the long pending and contentious issue of inter-state boundary problem with our counterpart Assam,” chief minister Mukul Sangma told newsmen after an all party meeting on Tuesday.

The meeting was attended by representatives of Congress, UDP, HSPDP, NPP, KHNAM and others.
Stating that boundary problem is a very thorny issue which needs to be resolve at the earliest, Sangma said, “This issue requires involvement of all concerns so that when we look at modalities of coming up with resolution, it is capable of capturing the views of all concerns.”

According to him, the state government wants to come up with a resolution which is in the best interest of the state and acceptable to all .“Therefore, there is a need for engagement of friends belonging to all political parties as in a democracy political parties articulate the concernsof the people,” he added.

Informing that various concerns have been shared and lots of ideas and suggestions have emerged during the meeting, Sangma said, “Now we would like to carry forward this engagement to find an answer to this long pending and thorny issue.”
Sangma further informed that the political parties will also be enlightened on various documentations which the state government has done and completed and submitted to Assam government to build the state’s claims in respect to those areas of difference in the next meeting which would be convened later this month.

“We have decided that the upcoming meeting will have a complete representation of all those documentations which the government had prepared and submitted to the counterpart sector wise against all those areas of difference one by one,” he said adding “Based on the various suggestions, we would look forward to see what the way forward is and this can be jointly decided together with all the political parties.”
Sangma also said this will enable the government to ascertain as to whether the documentations of the state government is strong enough or can there be some more views to supplement to make the case strong.

According to him, any political party that is in power unless sure of the ultimate resolution that the solution to the issue is acceptable by all concerned will not be able to take a final decision because the issue will be whipped up as a political issue.
Sangma said as the issue is thorny it needs the involvement of all political parties so that all share the responsibility jointly for the interest of the people on this long pending issue. – By Our Reporter