Itanagar: Arunachal Pradesh home minister Bamang Felix on Thursday said that the state government has sufficient political will and support from all the political parties, community based organizations (CBOs) and student unions to once and for all resolve the inter-state boundary issue with Assam.
Felix said this while addressing a meeting of the High Power Ministerial Committee (HPMC) at the Dorjee Khandu State Convention Centre here.
Headed by Felix, the HPMC that includes representatives from several political parties, CBOs and student organizations, has been constituted by the state government to study and resolve the Arunachal-Assam inter-state boundary issue.
Arunachal shares around 730 kms of boundary with Assam.
Following discussions, Felix on the day directed the district level committees (DLCs) of 12 districts sharing inter-state boundaries with Assam to submit ground assessment reports of their respective areas to the HPMC within two months.
The DLCs are headed by the deputy commissioners of the districts concerned.
The minister said the reports submitted should be based on the recommendations of the Local Commission appointed by the Supreme Court.
The HPMC had earlier decided to take recommendations of the Local Commission appointed by the Supreme Court as the basis of the state’s boundary claims and to take 2007 as the year of reference for the assessment of boundary demarcation.
The districts asked to submit their reports on or before October 26 include West Kameng, Pakke Kessang, Papum Pare, Kamle, Lower Siang, Lower Dibang Valley, East Siang, Lohit, Namsai, Changlang, Longding and Tirap.
“We should make it our intention to resolve the inter-state boundary issue so that our future generation does not face the same issues that we face today,” said Felix while exhorting the DCs present to undertake the exercise with utmost sincerity.
Acknowledging that the task given to the DLCs is tough, Felix said the committees and deputy commissioners would receive all the support and cooperation required.
Among others, the meeting was also attended by deputy chief minister Chowna Mein, cabinet minister and the legislatures and the superintendents of police of the districts concerned.
