GUWAHATI, April 22 — Chief Ministers of Assam and Meghalaya today agreed to launch joint police operations “whenever necessary” to fight insurgency along the inter-State boundary areas besides deciding to involve tribal district councils and Deputy Commissioners concerned of both the States in finding a solution to the age-old boundary dispute between the two States. At a crucial meeting held in Janata Bhawan here this afternoon, Chief Ministers Tarun Gogoi and DD Lapang agreed to maintain the status quo along the disputed inter-State boundary till a final solution could be arrived at.
Addressing a joint press conference immediately after the meeting, both the Chief Ministers expressed concern over the growing inter-State movement of extremists from both the States and informed that it was decided to go for joint operations by police forces of both the States whenever the need arose to curb activities of insurgents particularly in inter-State boundary areas. The Director of Generals (DGs) of Assam and Meghalaya police would be entrusted to take decisions on such joint police operations against the extremists.
Gogoi said, “Although the police forces of both the States have been cooperating with each other vis-a-vis tackling of insurgency, this time we have decided to bring the forces closer and joint operations will be conducted wherever and whenever necessary.” Lapang echoed the views expressed by his Assam counterpart while saying, “We are concerned over killing of innocent people by insurgents and have, therefore, decided to join our forces and share information in tackling insurgency.”
The crucial Chief Minister-level meeting today decided to make joint request before the Central Government for necessary fund to raise special police battalions in both the States to fight extremists.
In another significant decision, today’s meeting entrusted the Chief Minister of Assam with the task to convene a meeting of Chief Ministers of all the north-eastern States to discuss the possibility of raising a special force for the North-east to fight insurgency with cent per cent fund from the Centre. The proposed North-east Chief Ministers meeting will also discuss the hurdles faced by the region in expediting the development process besides the problem of insurgency. However, no deadline was set for convening the meeting of all the Chief Ministers of the region in today’s discussion. In respect of the vexed boundary dispute between the two States, the Chief Ministers of both the States today for the first time decided to involved Karbi Anglong Autonomous District Council in Assam and Jaintia Hills District Council in Meghalaya besides the concerned Deputy Commissioners from both the States in finding and amicable solution to the problem.
Gogoi and Lapan informed, “We have decided that in case of boundary disputes in certain areas under the jurisdiction of district councils of both the States, the council authorities will sit together to work out a solution. In other areas, respective Deputy Commissioners of both the States will be entrusted to hold discussions among themselves over the dispute. The Chief Secretaries of both the States will monitor the progress made in resolving the boundary disputes even as status quo will be maintained along the inter-State boundary till a final solution is arrived at.”
Both the Chief Ministers decided to sit for another round of talks after six months to review the progress made and actions taken in the light of the decisions taken in today’s meeting. Several Ministers from both the States including the Deputy Chief Minister of Meghalaya Donkpur Roy, Home Ministers of both the States and senior State Government officials including the Chief Secretaries attended the meeting today.