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Boundary dispute: Assam and Meghalaya CMs to meet Home minister

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Boundary dispute: Assam and Meghalaya CMs to meet Home minister

  • Union home minister is likely to decide on the five decade-long dispute ahead of Meghalaya’s 50th statehood day
  • Assam and Meghalaya share an 885 km-long inter-state boundary
  • Meghalaya, which was formed under the North-Eastern Areas Reorganisation Act, 1971, has a border dispute with Assam in 12 areas.

Historical Background of Assam and Meghalaya border Dispute

  • Meghalaya was carved out of Assam under the Assam Reorganisation Act, 1971, a law that it challenged, leading to disputes.
  • Meghalaya bases its claim on survey maps of 1872 and 1929 and certain notifications of 1878 and 1951
  • While Assam wants to go by the rejected recommendations of the Churachand Committee.
  • As of now, there are 12 points of dispute along their borders.

Langpih, Kamrup and Garo Hills

  • Langpih: It is the major point of contention between Assam and Meghalaya
  • It is situated in West Garo Hills bordering the Kamrup district of Assam.
  • It was part of the Kamrup district during the British colonial period but post-Independence, it became part of the Garo Hills and Meghalaya.
  • Assam considers it to be part of the Mikir Hills in Assam.
  • Meghalaya has questioned Blocks I and II of the Mikir Hills now Karbi Anglong region being part of Assam.
  • Meghalaya says these were parts of erstwhile United Khasi and Jaintia Hills districts.

Inter state border disputes in India

  • Haryana-Himachal Pradesh: Parwanoo is the major border dispute region between the two states.
  • It is next to the Panchkula district of Haryana and the state has claimed parts of the land in Himachal Pradesh as its own.
  • Himachal Pradesh-Ladakh: Both states lay claim to Sarchu, an area on the route between Leh and Manali.
  • Arunachal Pradesh-Assam: Arunachal’s claim is that the re-organisation of North Eastern states unilaterally transferred several forested tracts in the plains that had traditionally belonged to hill tribal chiefs and communities to the state of Assam.
  • Assam-Nagaland: It is the longest-running border dispute in the North East
  • Nagaland does not accept the boundary delineation and demands that the new state should also have all Naga-dominated areas in North Cachar and Nagaon districts.
  • Karnataka-Maharashtra: Belgaum district is disputed between both states
  • It came under Karnataka state in 1956 when states were reorganised and till then it was under the Bombay presidency.

Constitutional provisions regarding Interstate Border Disputes

  • Article 263: It provides for the prevention of inter-State disputes by investigation and recommendations by an administrative body.

  • According to it,an Inter-State Council (ISC) may be constituted ""if it seems to the President at any time that the public interests would be served by the creation of a Council.""

  • Article 131: It allows for the judicial resolution of interstate conflicts by vesting the Supreme Court with exclusive authority.

  • Article 262: It provides for the adjudication of one type of such issue by an extrajudicial tribunal.

Inter-State Council:

  • It was constituted by presidential order in 1990 on the proposal of the Sarkaria Commission,
  • It is a constitutional body.

Composition of the council

  • It is chaired by the prime minister.
  • Its members are Chief Ministers of the States & Union territories having Legislative Assemblies.
  • Administrators of Union territories that do not have Legislative Assemblies.
  • Governors of States under President's Rule.
  • Six Ministers of Cabinet rank in the Union Council of Ministers to be nominated by the
  • Prime Minister and two Ministers of Cabinet rank in the Union Council of Ministers to be nominated by the Prime Minister as permanent invitees.

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