Assam, Arunachal Pradesh to form district level committees to resolve border disputes

Tags: State News National News

After Meghalaya, Assam and its neighbouring state Arunachal Pradesh decided to form District Level Committees for resolving the boundary disputes between the two states in a time-bound manner.

• The decision was taken during the second Chief Minister level meeting between both states held at State Guest House, Koinadhora in Guwahati in presence of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and his Arunachal Pradesh counterpart Pema Khandu.

• The district committees will undertake joint surveys in the disputed areas to find tangible solutions to the long-pending issue based on historical perspective, ethnicity, contiguity, people’s will and administrative convenience of both the states.

• Border dispute between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh 

—Arunachal Pradesh, which was earlier a part of Assam, shares a boundary of roughly 800 km with the state.

—The dispute dates back to the British era when in 1873 the British announced inner line regulation.

—British demarcated planes and frontier Hills, which were later designated as North-East frontier tracts in 1915.

—These northeastern frontiers make up present-day Arunachal Pradesh. 

—Administrative jurisdiction was handed over to Assam, the border areas were renamed as Northeast Frontier Agency (NEFA) in 1954.

—Arunachal Pradesh was declared a Union Territory in 1972 and got statehood in 1987.

—Based on the NEFA committee report, 3648 sq. km of the plain area was transferred from Arunachal Pradesh to Assam’s then Darrang and Lakhimpur districts.

—Arunachal Pradesh refused to accept this notification and it has become a matter of dispute.

—Assam feels that the demarcation as per 1951 notification is constitutional and legal.

—But, Arunachal Pradesh believes that the transfer was done without consultation with its people.