Guwahati: The governments of Assam and Meghalaya on Monday announced their decision to erect border pillars in five of the six disputed areas by India’s Independence Day, August 15, 2025.
This initiative marks a crucial step forward since the two states signed an agreement in March 2022 to address these territorial disagreements.
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Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and his Meghalaya counterpart, CM Conrad K Sangma, announced the decision at a t press conference following a Chief Ministers’ level meeting on various inter-state issues in Guwahati on Monday.
“Out of six areas for which an agreement was signed, we will try to erect the border pillars in five of these areas by August 15,” said Assam Chief Minister Sarma.
Officials report that while significant progress has occurred, a minor point of contention remains in one of the five areas. Meghalaya seeks a village initially allotted to Assam, offering an equivalent amount of land in return. Assam has requested one week to consider this proposal.
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Regarding the sixth disputed area, Pilingkata, Chief Minister Sarma indicated a “difference of interpretation” and stated that the deputy commissioners of both states would meet to discuss it further.
Meghalaya Chief Minister Sangma expressed optimism, noting that they are resolving small issues and highly anticipate the erection of border pillars in the five areas by Independence Day.
He stated that the phased resolution of the border dispute is a “major milestone” in the relations between the two states.
Beyond the border dispute, the two states have also reached an in-principle agreement to tly work on the 55MW Kulsi multi-purpose project, located along their inter-state border.
“Kulsi is a win-win project for both states. We have decided to work on it together with the condition that people living in that area will be taken into confidence,” said Chief Minister Sangma.
Chief Minister Sarma added that while both states will collaborate on the hydel aspect, the Assam government will independently manage the irrigation component. This component will benefit large parts of the Kamrup and Goalpara districts downstream.
Notably, Assam and Meghalaya share an 884.9-km-long interstate border with 12 areas of long-standing dispute. The March 2022 agreement, signed in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, aimed to resolve disputes in six of these areas. In the first phase of settlement, covering 36.79 sq km, Assam received 18.46 sq km, and the authorities allotted Meghalaya 18.33 sq km.
Meghalaya, carved out of Assam in 1972, has since challenged the Assam Reorganisation Act, 1971. Assam, however, recognizes this Act as its official border. This latest development signals a strong commitment from both state governments to bring a definitive end to these historical differences.