Shillong, June 9: Assam may be content with thinking that Langpih (Lampi in Assamese) belongs to it and finds no reason for a verbal contest there, but Meghalaya is spoiling for a duel.

Meghalaya chief minister Donkupar Roy said he would force Assam to talk on Langpih during a proposed meeting with Tarun Gogoi on Wednesday.

Assam government spokesman Himanta Biswa Sarma yesterday told reporters that their stand on Langpih was non-negotiable, indicating that the state was not interested to talk on Langpih.

“Even if they don’t want to discuss, we will raise not only Langpih but other disputed areas too in the proposed meeting,” Roy said today.

The dispute over Langpih surfaced after Sarma laid the foundation stone of a health subcentre in the area on May 31.

Besides Langpih, there are 11 “areas of differences” along the Meghalaya-Assam border which are yet to be resolved.

Roy said Assam leaders might be interested in gaining political mileage out of the issue. “Meghalaya was not interested to politicise the issue at any cost. We don’t want to score nay points by politicising the issue, our concern is to get back Langpih,” Roy said.

Health institute

Meghalaya Chief minister Donkupar Roy today laid the foundation stone of the much-awaited Indian Institute of Public Health, the first in the Northeast and fourth in the country, at Mawdiangdiang near Shillong.