Centre for new NE boundary panel

NEW DELHI, January 16: The Government of India today suggested setting up of a Boundary Commission with specific terms of reference to settle the boundary dispute of Assam with the neighbouring States of Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh. Two suits filed by the Government of Assam against Arunachal and Nagaland for the demarcation of the boundary and encroachment of its areas were taken up today by a three-Judge bench of the Supreme Court headed by the Chief Justice of India. In this case, the Supreme Court had earlier sought the assistance of the Attorney General of India to suggest the modalities to be adopted to resolve the disputes between the states. The Attorney General of India, Soli J Sorabjee, appeared in the Supreme Court today and suggested the setting up of a Boundary Commission with a binding effect to settle the disputes. He said that the composition of the Boundary Commission and the terms of reference can be discussed and finalised if there are any difference between the States. The concerned parties, on principle, agreed to the suggestion of setting up of a boundary commission. KK Venugopal and Vijay Hansaria, who appeared in the court on behalf of the Assam Government, submitted that the boundaries between the States are defined in the Constitution and any encroachment by a State on the boundaries of other States have to be removed. They said that the Survey of India may be asked to submit a report on the actual state of affairs in this regard. The Assam Government advocates also pointed out that various earlier commissions including the Sundaram Committee, as well as the Shastri Commission and also the report of GK Pillai have found that large areas of Assam, specially in the reserve forest areas have been encroached upon by Nagaland. The Supreme Court adjourned the hearing for five weeks to enable the States to give their response to the suggestion offered by the Attorney General of India to settle the boundary dispute. It may be mentioned here that the Government of Assam filed two cases in the Supreme Court seeking direction from the court to remove the encroachments from its land by the neighbouring states of Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh. In the last hearing last year, the Supreme Court sought suggestions from the Attorney General to settle the dispute.