Meghalaya and Assam are set to establish a joint committee of government officials next week to tackle key bilateral issues, as announced by Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma. During a press conference on Wednesday, Sangma stated that discussions with Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma led to the decision to form the committee, which will handle matters beyond just boundary disputes.

Sangma highlighted concerns such as Meghalaya graduates from the University of Science and Technology, Meghalaya (USTM), being ineligible for Assam government jobs as one potential topic for the committee. However, he did not go into detail about the full agenda.

Regarding the boundary dispute between the two states, Sangma revealed that the second phase of talks would commence by October. The regional committees from both states will discuss six remaining disputed areas. 

Sangma stressed that both governments are taking a careful approach due to the complexity and sensitivity of the unresolved areas. He noted that the initial phase, which resolved disputes in six districts, was relatively straightforward, but the second phase involves more challenging areas such as Langpih, Psiar, Khanduli, and Block-II.

In March 2022, the chief ministers of Assam and Meghalaya signed an agreement in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah to resolve the first phase of the five-decade-long inter-state border dispute.