Assam government sets up high-level panel to resolve 37 villages dispute along Karbi Anglong–Nagaon border

The Assam government has constituted a high-level commission to examine the contentious inclusion and exclusion of 37 villages spread across Karbi Anglong and Nagaon districts.

The commission will be headed by senior IAS officer Dr Ballepu Kalyan Chakravarthy, Additional Chief Secretary to the Government of Assam, and has been mandated to review competing claims, objections and demands linked to villages falling within and around the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC). The focus will be on boundary demarcation, jurisdictional authority and Sixth Schedule-related protections.

The decision follows sustained demands from residents of Karbi Anglong seeking the formal inclusion of these villages within the district, a move that would bring them under the constitutional safeguards of the Sixth Schedule. The panel has been tasked with conducting a comprehensive assessment of historical records, administrative arrangements and ground-level realities before making recommendations.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the commission will soon initiate public consultations to gather views from affected communities, district administrations and elected representatives from Karbi Anglong, Nagaon and adjoining districts. The process, the government said, aims to ensure transparency, fairness and consensus in addressing the issue.

The commission will include District Commissioners from Karbi Anglong, West Karbi Anglong, Nagaon, Hojai, Morigaon and Dima Hasao, ensuring balanced administrative inputs from all concerned regions.

The Assam government has underscored that resolving such long-standing territorial and autonomy-related disputes is essential to promoting social harmony, administrative clarity and development in the state’s autonomous council areas. Further details, including timelines for public hearings and submission of recommendations, are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.