High Court orders interim stay on border pact signed between Assam & Meghalaya

way2barak, Dec.9: The Meghalaya High Court has ordered an interim stay on physical demarcation or erection of boundary posts on the basis of a boundary pact signed between Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma and his counterpart Himanta Biswa Sarma in March 2022. Justice H S Thangkhiew ordered the interim stay till the next date of hearing on 6 February, 2023.

Infact, the Meghalaya High Court passed the order while hearing a petition filed by four ‘traditional chiefs’ of Meghalaya. In their petition, the ‘traditional chiefs’ of Meghalaya 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.

It is in this backdrop that the Meghalaya High Court stated, “During the intervening period, no physical demarcation or erection of boundary posts on the ground, pursuant to the MoU dated 29.03.2022 shall be carried out, till the next date.”