Atul Bora says MoU to be signed to resolve Arunachal border issue

Guwahati: Assam and Arunachal Pradesh governments are likely to sign a memorandum of understanding this month to resolve the long-standing border dispute between the two states, Assam Minister Atul Bora said.

He said that Assam on its part has finalized the draft MoU and it will be sent to the neighboring state for approval.
“The draft MoU was discussed through thread and finalised. The copy will now be shared with them, and if they agree, we hope to finalize it by April 20 or at least this It will be signed within the month,” Bora said after a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma here on Monday evening.

He said that the MoU will be signed by the two states in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
“However, we cannot say that the MoU will be the final solution. The court and parliament are also there,” said Bora, Minister for Border Areas Protection and Development.

Members of 12 regional committees of Assam, local MLAs, MPs and district administration officers were present in the meeting to finalize the draft MoU.

The two states are engaged in talks to resolve the border dispute with Sarma and his Arunachal counterpart Pema Khandu signing the Namsai Declaration on July 15 last year in which they pledged to find a solution soon. .
The two northeastern states had decided to limit the number of ‘disputed villages’ to 86 instead of the previous 123.

Regional committees dealing with specific areas, comprising ministers, local MLAs and officials from both sides, were formed last year to take the dialogue forward.

The two states share a border of 804.1 km.

Arunachal Pradesh, which was made a union territory in 1972, complains that many forest areas in the plains that traditionally belonged to hill tribal chiefs and communities were unilaterally transferred to Assam.
After Arunachal Pradesh was granted statehood in 1987, a tripartite committee was appointed, which recommended that some areas be transferred from Assam to Arunachal Pradesh.

Assam contested this and the matter is in the Supreme Court.