Union Home Minister Amit Shah will hold a crucial meeting with Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma and Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday to resolve the decades-old border disputes in six of the 12 ‘areas of difference’ between the two northeastern states.

In the meeting, which is scheduled to be held in New Delhi, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is expected to finalise the border agreement signed between Assam and Meghalaya in January to settle the dispute in six areas.

The proposed meeting on Tuesday is significant in the wake of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) – the opposition party in Meghalaya — having raised objections on the agreement signed between the two states.

> Meghalaya was carved out of Assam as a separate state in 1972 and the state had challenged the Reorganization Act, 1971, leading to disputes in 12 bordering areas along the 884.9 km long inter-state border.

> The boundary dispute between the two neighbouring States has lingered for more than five decades.

> Due to the border disputes, the two states have witnessed several violent incidents in the past. In one such incident in 2010, four persons were killed in police firing at Langpih, one of the 12 areas of difference.

> In January, the CMs of Meghalaya and Assam signed a memorandum of understanding at Guwahati to resolve the boundary dispute in six locations Tarabari, Gizang, Hahim, Boklapara, Khanapara-Pillangkata and Ratacherra in the first phase. It was then sent to the MHA for examination.

> There are 36 villages in the six places of difference, covering an area of 36.79 sq km.

> In due course, the two states constituted three regional committees each. Their members visited the disputed areas and held public meetings. After a fair understanding of the problem, they submitted their reports to the respective governments.

> According to the recommendations, 18.51 sq km will go to Assam and the remaining 18.28 sq km to Meghalaya.

> Assam also has border disputes with Nagaland, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh.