GUWAHATI: Meghalaya chief minister Conrad Sangma, alongside speaker of the Meghalaya assembly Thomas Sangma and cabinet ministers, called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Tuesday seeking his invervention to resolve the border row with Assam.
The delegation also submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Modi in this regard.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji heard our concerns, and assured to look into it. We thank him for giving us this opportunity,” the Meghalaya chief minister said, while highlighting the issues that were discussed.
On Assam–Meghalaya areas of differences, CM Sangma sought the intervention of Prime Minister Modi for the resolving disputes in the remaining six out of twelve disputed areas between Assam and Meghalaya.
He told the Prime Minister on the reconstitution of three regional committees to assess the current status of the remaining six disputed areas.
The committees tasked with verifying village claims, establishing geographical locations, and preparing asset registers in collaboration with both state governments.
Notably, six areas were successfully resolved in March 2022, with an agreement signed in the presence of union home minister Amit Shah.
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A joint survey by Assam and Meghalaya is currently underway to demarcate boundaries in these resolved areas.
On externally aided projects (EAPs), the chief minister apprised Prime Minister that EAPs were very critical for Meghalaya.
He told Prime Minister than Meghalaya has embarked on an ambitious goal of becoming a USD 10 billion economy within the next five years, and to achieve this target, the state requires to double its economy through investment in physical and social infrastructure, which will drive sustainable growth and employment opportunities.
“The state government has actively pursued private investments and aimed to foster a robust private sector. Despite efforts, inherent challenges related to land tenure systems, remoteness, and rugged terrain have constrained private investments. Therefore, public investments, including those from Externally Aided Projects (EAPs), are crucial to boost the state’s economy. These projects, which account for around 72% of the project cost as grants from the Government of India to the North-Eastern and Hill states, form a pivotal component of the investment portfolio,” the Meghalaya CM said.
He also informed that the Meghalaya government has successfully posed and received approvals for several projects under this merit-based system.
He also apprised the Prime Minister on the inclusion of Khasi and Garo Language in the eighth schedule of the Constitution.
A resolution to this effect was passed by the Meghalaya assembly in November 2018, and the matter is currently pending with the government of India.
On the issue of peace talks with the Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC), the Meghalaya chief minister apprised the Prime Minister that the outfit has expressed its readiness for unconditional talks with the governments of India and Meghalaya, within the framework of the Indian Constitution and without any preconditions.
The chief minister told the Prime Minister that the formal dialogue is underway, and the state government is optimistic that the peace process will reach a successful conclusion.