Our Correspondent
Kohima, Jan. 24 (EMN): Nagaland Chief Minister, Neiphiu Rio on Monday said the governments of Nagaland and Assam are willing to settle the long-pending border issue out-of-court.
Rio told this to journalists after the meeting of Assembly’s Select Committee to Examine the Nagaland-Assam Border Issue at the NLA Secretariat in Kohima on Monday.
The meeting was held a day after the CM along with Deputy CM Y Patton and Naga People's Front (NPF) Legislature Party leader TR Zeliang, had a meeting with Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswas Sarma in Assam.
"We had a very fruitful discussion," said Rio about the meeting with his Assam counterpart on Sunday, adding that they discussed other issues besides the border dispute.
The CM said that he had briefed the state’s select committee about the decision taken during the meeting with the Assam Chief Minister for an out-of-court settlement of the border issue.
He said that delegations from Nagaland and Assam might meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the first part of February to discuss and formulate how to go about it (out-of-court settlement).
“We have identified the Assam-Nagaland border into four sectors and after we have discussions with the Union Home Minister, we will come back for further discussion," he said.
The chief minister went on to inform that sharing of royalty on petroleum and natural gas along the Assam-Nagaland border was also discussed, while reminding that Nagaland's Minister of Geology and Mining V Kashiho Sangtam, Chief Secretary and others had attended a meeting with the Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri.
‘So that is also taking effect. If we can resolve on sharing of royalties in the disputed areas and the long-pending border issue, it will be very good for both states because, whether we like it or not, we are neighbours and we will be neighbours in future too,’ said Rio.
The Assembly’s select committee was attended by Y Patton; TR Zeliang, Minister for Higher Education and Tribal Affairs Temjen Imna Along, Advisor for Horticulture and Border Affairs Mhathung Yanthan, Chief Secretary J Alam, DGP T John Longkumer, Principal Secretary to CM KD Vizo, Commissioner Rovilatuo Mor, Home Commissioner Abhijit Sinha, Commissioner and Secretary NLA PJ Anthony and othes.