On Assam-Meghalaya Border Pact, Supreme Court Relief To States For Now

In a significant decision on the lingering border dispute between Meghalaya and Assam, the Supreme Court on Friday halted a high court order, which had paused implementation of a pact to resolve a large part of the dispute.

It will hear the matter again in two weeks.

The pact between Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma and his Assam counterpart Himanta Biswa Sarma was signed in March last year, in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who touted it as a major achievement. The leaders said claims in six of 12 disputed areas were settled as a first step — "about 70 per cent of the problem thus resolved".

But the Meghalaya High Court, on a petition by four people, last month paused any physical demarcation of a new border, and posted the matter for hearing in February. The state governments want the pact to be put into practice, so they went to the Supreme Court.

The bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices PS Narasimha and JB Pardiwala said in its order on Friday, “The single judge has not furnished any reason for the interim order... Whether the [pact] will require parliamentary approval is a distinct issue. But the interim order staying the [pact] was not warranted.”

The six disputed areas covered by the pact are spread across about 36 sq km — agreed to be divided almost equally between the two states. Amit Shah had said the rest of the issue will also be resolved soon.

Meghalaya was carved out of Assam in 1972, but it challenged the Assam Reorganisation Act, leading to dispute in 12 locations that has now lingered for five decades and counting.