Itanagar, Sept 06: Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu has reaffirmed the commitment to implement the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh regarding their border dispute.
Khandu mentioned that pilot surveys will soon commence in areas with clear issues, with Kamengbari and Bhalukpong in West Kameng district selected for the initial survey. He also highlighted that areas and districts with unresolved matters are under review by regional committees.
Out of the 123 villages recommended by the local commission, 115 will remain with Arunachal Pradesh, while eight will be in Assam. Khandu further explained that certain villages in Lower Siang, Lower Dibang Valley, and Pakke Kessang districts have been adjusted to Arunachal Pradesh in exchange for equivalent land to be ceded to Assam.
Importantly, the government has not surrendered forest areas claimed by Assam, especially in the eastern part of the state. Appropriate steps have been taken to adjust areas and villages in accordance with the local commission’s recommendations and mutual agreements between regional committees.
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Regarding the government’s stance on the 1951 recommendations by the Bordoloi Commission, which transferred over 3,000 square kilometers of land from erstwhile NEFA to Assam, Khandu reiterated that the state government has consistently opposed the unilateral 1951 notification.
In April of this year, the governments of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh signed an agreement in New Delhi, with the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, aimed at resolving long-standing border disputes. The border between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh stretches over 804.1 kilometers.
Arunachal Pradesh, which became a Union territory in 1972 and attained statehood in 1987, has contended that various forested areas in the plains historically belonged to hill tribal chiefs and communities and were unilaterally transferred to Assam.
A tripartite committee was established after Arunachal Pradesh achieved statehood, recommending the transfer of specific territories from Assam to Arunachal Pradesh. This recommendation led to legal disputes that endured for a considerable period in the Supreme Court.
