Staff Reporter,
Guwahati, April 20: The long festering border dispute between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh has been resolved following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between both states in presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Minister, Dr.Himanta Biswa Sarma and Chief Minister, Arunachal Pradesh, Pema Khandu in the national capital on Thursday. The MoU signing ceremony between Governments of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh to resolve the long pending border dispute between both states took place at the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) located at the North Block. Chief Minister of Assam, Sarma and Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, Kandu were the signatories to the boundary settlement agreement. Speaking on the occasion, Union Home Minister, Amit Shah said it was a red letter day for both Assam and Arunachal Pradesh resolving their long boundary dispute amicably. Shah exuded optimism that the boundary settlement would usher in all round development and peace in the Northeast Region. The Union Home Minister said 123 disputed villages on both sides of the inter-state border along the 800-km long stretch have been resolved once and for all at a time when the country is celebrating 75th year of Independence. Chief Minister of Assam, Sarma termed the signing of the MoU as historic and that it would be the harbinger of peace and prosperity. Union Minister, Kiren Rijiju, State Ministers Atul Bora, Jayanta Malla Baruah, Keshab Mahanta, Bimal Borah and Sanjay Kishan, Chief Secretary, Paban Kumar Borthakur, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, Samir Sinha, Principal Resident Commissioner, Assam Bhawan, New Delhi, Rajeev Chandra Joshi, Principal Secretary, Border Protection and Development, GD Tripathi, Secretary, Border Protection and Development, Prabhati Thaosen and senior officials of MHA were present. It is to be mentioned that the Assam Cabinet on Wednesday approved the recommendations given by 12 Regional Committees formed by the state government to resolve the decades-long border row with Arunachal Pradesh. The decision was taken during the cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma at Dispur. Assam shares a boundary of a little over 800 km with Arunachal Pradesh. In July last year, both the states signed the Namsai Declaration in which it was agreed to bring down the number of disputed villages from 123 to 86 and resolve the boundary row by forming 12 committees each headed by a cabinet minister that would visit disputed areas, take feedback from residents and submit reports to their respective governments.
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