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
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Article 263: It provides for the prevention of inter-State disputes by investigation and recommendations by an administrative body.
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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.""
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Article 131: It allows for the judicial resolution of interstate conflicts by vesting the Supreme Court with exclusive authority.
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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.