Border dispute to be settled by 2023, says Shah

AGARTALA: Union home minister Amit Shah on Saturday said that the boundary dispute between Arunachal Pradesh and Assam is expected to be “resolved before 2023”, and asserted that the Centre is committed to bringing peace and development to the region.

“Over 60% interstate border dispute between Meghalaya and Assam has been resolved. We hope that Arunachal Pradesh and Assam interstate border dispute will be resolved before 2023,” Shah said while speaking at the golden jubilee celebrations of Ramakrishna Mission School in Arunachal Pradesh’s Tirap district.

Assam shares an 804-km boundary with Arunachal Pradesh. Though there was no issue initially, over the years, allegations of residents of one state encroaching land on the other side have led to disputes and violence. A suit pertaining to the issue has been pending before the Supreme Court since 1989.

Last year, following the insistence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Shah, both states had resolved to an out-of-court settlement of their border dispute through dialogue.

Asserting that efforts are underway to make the Northeast insurgency-free, he said 9,000 militants from the region have surrendered during the last eight years of the Narendra Modi government at the Centre.

“Youths of Northeast no longer carry guns and petrol bombs. They are now carrying laptops and are launching startups. This is the path of development that the Centre has envisaged for the region,” he said.

“Manipur, which was earlier known for bandhs and blockades for more than 200 days a year, is now witnessing a sea of change without any bandh during the last five years of BJP rule in the state,” he added.