A crucial meeting over inter-state border dispute issue was held between Assam and Mizoram in Guwahati on Thursday.

Assam Agriculture Minister Atul Bora and Forest Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary, and Mizoram Home Minister Lalchamliana and Land Revenue and Settlement Minister Lalruatkima and other senior officials of both governments took part in the meeting.

Minister Bora said that the meeting will pave the way to finding a solution to the long-pending issue.

"During the meeting, several decisions were taken by both State governments including the Mizoram government will furnish the list of villages, their areas, geo-spatial extent and ethnicity of the people and other relevant information within three months to support their claim which can be examined by setting up Regional Committees from both sides to arrive at an amicable resolution of the vexed border issues and the Assam government will extend full cooperation whenever sought," said Bora.

The Assam Minister further said that both sides also agreed to abide by the resolutions encapsulated in the Joint Statement of August 5, 2021, signed in Aizawl.

"Both sides agreed to continue their resolve to maintain peace and harmony on the inter-state border among communities living on both sides with a view to further strengthen their age-old ties. The high-level delegation from Mizoram expressed that there has been huge unrest among the areca nut growers in Mizoram on account of problems being faced in the transportation of their produce to Assam and other parts of the country," he said.

Bora said both governments also agreed to refer the issue to respective Chief Ministers to evolve an amicable solution and to continue a sustained zero-tolerance policy against the transportation of smuggled areca nuts from other countries.

Assam shares a 164-6 km long inter-state boundary with Mizoram and the border dispute between the two neighbouring states is a decade long-standing issue.

Earlier, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and his Mizoram counterpart Zoramthanga met twice in New Delhi in November last year and September this year to find an amicable solution to the vexed border dispute.

(with inputs from ANI)