Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, 15 Mar: Home Minister Bamang Felix informed that a detailed proposal with a map for amicable settlement of the interstate boundary disputes between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh was submitted to the government of Assam on Monday.
Responding to the star question of Congress MLA and former chief minister Nabam Tuki and a supplementary question by Congress MLA Ninong Ering, the home minister informed that the decision taken at the state-level stakeholders’ meeting held on 4 March was placed before the cabinet and, after detailed discussion, the same was approved on 7 March, 2022.
Felix further informed the house that the boundary dispute between Assam and Arunachal is an inherited dispute since the NEFA days, “about 716 running kilometres approximately.”
“Earlier, the Supreme Court of India had appointed the local commission with a former judge of the Supreme Court as the chairman, to be assisted by two other members. The local commission had submitted its recommendations in 2014 to the apex court. Subsequently, the government of Arunachal, as per the cabinet decision, agreed to the recommendations made by the local commission on 3 March, 2015. However, the government of Assam contested the local commissions’ recommendations and filed a rejoinder to the original suit,” informed Felix.
“As the Supreme Court decided that regular trial be taken up upon framing of issue, the cross-examination of the Assam side has been completed. Affidavits of the witnesses of the Arunachal Pradesh (12 deputy commissioners and the PCCF) side have been filed and additional being filed before the apex court and matter is sub judice,” he added.
Felix informed that, after the intervention of the union home minister to resolve the interstate boundary issue, the government of Arunachal had constituted a high-powered ministerial committee (HPMC) on 15 July, 2021, headed by Felix as its chairman and RWD Minister Honchun Ngandam, Health Minister Alo Libang, the principal home secretary, the DGP, the PCCF, the east and west divisional commissioners, the IGP (law & order) as members, and PWD Commissioner Kaling Tayeng as member secretary.
“A preliminary meeting of the HPMC was held in chief secretary’s conference hall on 23 July, 2021 to work out the modalities and the way forward. The first consultative meeting with all stakeholders at the state level was held on 12 August, 2021. It was unanimously resolved that the basis of our claims would be as per the recommendations of the local commission appointed by the Supreme Court of India, besides maintenance of status quo,” he added.
Felix informed also that, on the basis of the third consultative meeting held on 4 March 2022, it was resolved that the stakeholders endorsed and accepted the district level committee report.
On sporadic incidents along the boundaries, the home minister informed that both the states have engaged in administrative-level interventions to resolve the issues and actions were taken against the perpetrators who created disruptions on either side.
