Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday urged Assam and Arunachal Pradesh to resolve their seven-decades long boundary dispute, two months after both signed Namsai Declaration to get rid of the friction over jurisdiction of 123 border villages.

Amit Shah chaired a meeting at North Block which was attended by Chief Ministers of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, Himanta Biswa Sarma and Pema Khandu respectively, along with other officials of the MHA to review resolution of the interstate boundary dispute, said ministry sources.

PM’s vision

The Home Minister "urged both the chief ministers to resolve the boundary dispute at the earliest in order to fulfil the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi of peaceful and prosperous Northeast," said ministry sources. Shah assured Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma and AP CM Pema Khandu of maximum possible assistance from the central government in this regard, added MHA sources.

After the two states signed the Namsai Declaration on July 15, regional committees were set up in respective states for joint verification of disputed villages. It was agreed to cruch the number of disputed villages from 123 to 86. It is learnt that the home minister took a stock of the findings of regional committee set up to paper over the differences on the jurisdiction of villages on the border between the two states. A new agreement would be signed between the two states once the two states agree on the new boundary drawn after joint consensus is achieved taking into account constitutional position and geographical proximity, said government sources.

Ensuring peace

Meanwhile, the MHA also signed a tripartite peace accord with eight tribal outfits of Assam which would ensure peace in the region. Chiefs of Birsa Commando Force (BCF), Adivasi People's Army, All Adivasi National Liberation Army (AALMA), Adivasi Cobra Military of Assam (ACMA), Santhali Tiger Force and rest three are splinter groups of BCF, ACMA and AALMA, said the ministry.

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