Assam-Meghalaya border: High Court orders interim stay on the demarcation of boundary posts

The Meghalaya High Court on December 9 ordered an interim stay on the border pact that was signed between Meghalaya and Assam governments.

In the signed agreement, both states had agreed to demarcate the border at the 12 contested locations that often raised tensions between the two states. 

Justice H S Thangkhiew ordered the interim stay till the next date of hearing on February 6, 2023, on a petition filed by four 'traditional chiefs' of Meghalaya.

''During the intervening period, no physical demarcation or erection of boundary posts on the ground, pursuant to the MoU dates 29/3/22 shall be carried out, till the next date,'' Justice Thangkhiew said.

Notably, the 'traditional chiefs' in their petition had urged the high court to set aside the MoU signed between the two states, citing that it violated provisions of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, which deals special provisions for the administration of tribal areas.

''The MoU was signed with consulting the constitutionally recognized native chiefs and their durbars,'' the traditional chiefs alleged.

They further claimed that the pact was ''in-principle contrary to the provision of Article 3 of the Constitution under which Parliament exclusively is competent to alter the area or boundaries of existing states”. 

On March 29 this year, both Assam and Meghalaya government had signed the agreement in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

The agreement sought to resolve the dispute in six of the 12 places along the 884.9-km border between the two states.

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