High Court order will not affect 2nd phase of border talks with Assam: Meghalaya Deputy CM

Meghalaya Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tyngsong on December 14 said that with the order of the Meghalaya High Court which ordered an interim stay on the physical demarcation or erection of boundary posts on the ground in connection with an inter-State border pact signed by Chief Ministers of Assam and Meghalaya earlier this year will not affect the ongoing second phase of Border talks between the two States of Meghalaya and Assam. 

“It will not affect at all, the Hon’ble High Court has only give an order to not erect any boundary pillars but the stay order of the MoU was not there”, clarifying Deputy CM.

Earlier on December 9. 2022, the Meghalaya High Court had ordered an interim stay on physical demarcation or erection of boundary posts on the ground in connection with an interstate border pact signed by chief ministers of Assam and Meghalaya earlier this year.
 
Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma and his counterpart Himanta Biswa Sarma had in March signed an MoU for demarcating the border in at least six of 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.

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