Guwahati, Aug 23: Efforts are underway to resolve a fresh blockade at Umiam in Meghalaya and restore normal movement between Assam and Meghalaya, Assam Border Protection Minister Atul Bora said on Sunday.“I came to know a short while ago that there is a blockade at Umiam by protesters in Meghalaya. The Deputy Chief Minister has said that he will speak to them,” Bora said after a meeting with the Assam Drivers’ Association and representatives of 14 organisations. Bora said he had also spoken to Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, who assured him that discussions were underway to resolve the situation. “I have also been in touch with the Meghalaya Chief Minister. He said discussions are going on and that the matter will be resolved soon. The Meghalaya government has taken responsibility for resolving the issue,” Bora said. The minister said he had briefed Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma about the meeting with the drivers’ association and the prevailing situation. Another round of discussions with protesters and representatives of various organisations was scheduled for around 4 pm on Sunday, Bora said. He said representatives of 14 organisations attended Sunday’s meeting and discussed the difficulties faced by drivers and travellers, as well as measures needed to prevent similar incidents in the future. “Fourteen organisations came here today. They said that we must ensure that such issues do not happen in the future. They also acknowledged and appreciated the steps that we finalised during yesterday’s meeting with the Meghalaya Deputy Chief Minister,” he said. Bora said Sunday’s meeting followed discussions held with the Meghalaya Deputy Chief Minister and senior officials on Saturday. He also visited Jorabat late Saturday night, where he met protesters and representatives of various organisations to hear their concerns and discuss possible steps forward. The minister said the issue of tourist vehicles had also been discussed between Assam and Meghalaya in the past. He recalled that around three years ago, an arrangement had been proposed under which Assam-registered vehicles would take tourists to a designated point, from where Meghalaya-registered vehicles would transport them to different destinations within the state. “This was discussed with Meghalaya three years ago, and we discussed it again yesterday. The proposal was that Assam-registered vehicles would take tourists to a specific point, from where Meghalaya vehicles would take them to different tourist destinations,” Bora said. He expressed confidence that the present situation would not recur, saying Meghalaya had also assured Assam that steps would be taken to prevent similar incidents. “I believe that a situation like this will not happen again, and Meghalaya has also assured us of that. It may take one or two days for normalcy to be completely restored,” Bora said. The meeting with the drivers’ association came against the backdrop of allegations that Assam-registered vehicles and travellers were targeted during a Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) protest rally in Shillong on August 19. The incidents have raised concerns over the safety of Assam-registered vehicles, cab drivers, tourists and other travellers moving between the two states.